If I told you
by I'veGotManyNames
Summary: "If I told you" is a story about falling in love with one of your best friends and getting up the courage to do something about it. It's about rumors and misunderstandings a little too, but most of all it's really about butterflies and crooked smiles. And Thursday evenings. It's very much about Thursday evenings.
1. Thursday, September 1st 2016

**A few words:  
** I started writing this story last August after a long car trip during which I came up with the general concept, but for a long time it was only ever meant for the eyes of a select few people. As you can see, someone changed my mind. I haven't published anything in this fandom in quite a while, so we'll see how this goes. There are a few things you should know beforehand, though.

The story is based upon characters and plotlines from a Harry Potter roleplay forum. This forum was set in an Alternate Universe and as such, so is this story. The main point of divergence is the fact that Luna Lovegood didn't marry Rolf Scamander (which, sadly, means that there was no Erumpent mating dance at the wedding [I saw that on tumblr and I just... headcannon accepted. Does anyone know what I mean? Totally off topic... back on track]). Instead, she married Draco Malfoy. If AUs in general and Draco/Luna in particular aren't your thing, that's fine by me, but don't complain to me about it, please and thank you. That being said, the ship itself is really very minor. Draco makes maybe two appearances, Luna a few more than that, but not many. It's important though, because their children play a large role in this. Specifically, the three oldest. A set of triplets named Eva, Lorcan and Lysander. Our protagonist and focal point of the narration through most of this is not one of them though. It's an OC of mine, Grace Kendall.

This will be the longest piece of writing I have every published. Chapter length will vary between a few hundred and several thousand words, though it averages between 900 and 1000 words. Currently the story stands at about 47k, with at least 15 chapters not yet written, so we'll see what the final word count will be.

I plan to update every other day. There will probably be occasions when it doesn't work out because of real life, but I will do my best to stick to that.

Constructice criticism is, of course, always welcome.

 **Additional Summary:** Thursday evenings used to be nothing out of the ordinary for Grace Kendall, but that's about to change. Come along and see for yourself how they become her favorite part of the week. Come along and watch as our story unfolds, complete with fairy tales, homework, exams, lots and lots of butterflies, a song, curious relatives and even more curious friends, a couch shaped bubble, a little bit of heartbreak and a severe lack of communication.

 **Things I would tag if I could:** FLUFF, ALL THE FLUFF. Slow burn, like... really slow.

 **A thank you:**

To the friend who convinced me to publish this (you know who you are), not actually for convincing me to publish it (for that too, though, I suppose) but mostly for sticking with me and listening to my rants and reading everything I wrote and waiting months between chapters sometimes. For encouraging me to keep writing and for threatening to hound me until I finish. Thank you for your criticism, for your enthusiasm, for your help with brainstorming. Thank you for wanting to see inside his head too. Thank you for a lot of other things, that don't need to be mentioned here.

To my very own Evie for creating the forum in the first place.

To the boredom of an endless car trip on which I came up with the idea.

To you, whoever you are, for clicking on this and deeming it worth your attention.

 **Dedication:**

This is for you, Raya. I originally wanted it finished for your birthday (you can tell how well that turned out), then I wanted it done for Christmas (again, that didn't quite work) and well... here we are now, months later. I hope you like it.

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I am not JKR, as such anything you recognize from her works is obviously not mine.**

 **I also don't own Eva and Leigh, they were created by AccioDraco43.  
**

 **A few more words:**

I'm actually done talking now. I hope you enjoy the story and stick around for more if you do!

* * *

 **Prologue**

 **Thursday, September 1st 2016**

 **King's Cross Station, London, England**

Grace is sandwiched between her sister and her grandmother on the way to platform nine and three quarters. Her father is walking in front of them with Grace's things and behind her she can hear her mother berate Timothy for not getting up when he was supposed to. Things, she surmises, are as they should be.

Her father stops in front of the barrier between platforms nine and ten and turns to her. "Do you want to go first, Gracie?"

"Sure," Grace smiles brightly and then she's running for the barrier. Her mind is preparing her body for an impact, Grace knows will never come, but it's still so hard to stop herself from closing her eyes. She sees the wall so close, her mother has stopped her rant and Timothy whoops just once and then suddenly it's done and she stands on platform nine and three-quarters.

Grace stops dead, almost over-whelmed by the amount of people milling about. Someone bumps into her, a tall blonde girl on her way to her equally blonde family, and Grace steps away from the wall behind her just in time to let Timothy through. He grins at her and wraps an arm around her shoulders briefly. "Off to Hogwarts, GracieWacie."

"Don't call me that," she complains as she elbows him lightly, but she is smiling.

Timothy just laughs and hugs their parents goodbye, before giving Ashlyn a little shove and Granny a kiss on the forehead. He is already taller than the woman. Grace watches her brother disappear into the crowd, no doubt off to find his friends.

"What do you say, Gracie, should we find you a compartment?" She looks at her family and nods.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Grace steps off the train with her father and hugs her mother goodbye for the fifth time, before turning to hug Ashlyn once more. She hides her face in her hair and hears the younger girl whimper a little. "I'll miss you too, Lyn," she whispers to her little sister. "I'll be back for Christmas, and I'll write, yes?" The younger girl just nods. Grace stands up straighter and lets go of her. The younger girl shuffles to their mother's side. Her father opens his arms, "Come here, Gracie."

The girl practically throws herself into her father's arms. "Remember that we'll be proud of you, no matter what, baby girl," he whispers and she nods slowly. When he releases her, Grace turns to her grandmother.

"Bye Granny," she says quietly.

The old woman takes her hands and squeezes them tightly. "Fly, my little bird, fly," she replies and kisses her granddaughter's cheeks.

"I will," she smiles softly and kisses her on the cheek. "I promise."

"Good for you, birdie. Now go, get on that train."

Grace turns and walks towards the train, she is already standing by the door when she turns around and waves. That seems to be too much for Ashlyn who runs over and hugs her tightly. "It's not the end of the world, little one." She runs a hand through her hair, before gently prying Ashlyn's arms off her. "Go back to Mum and Dad," she tells her quietly.

"Promise you'll write," Ashlyn whispers.

"I promise." Grace watches her sister walk back to their parents as their grandmother makes a little shooing motion. She smiles and gets on the train.

Grace closes her eyes and breathes in deeply. The Hogwarts Express. She's really going to Hogwarts. She's really going to Hogwarts. A smile sneaks upon her face. What will it be like? She wants to see the ghosts and the moving staircases and the courtyards and towers (though maybe not the insides of the towers, she'd prefer to stay on solid ground) and… her musings are interrupted by a crashing sound and her eyes snap open. Not far from her are two boys and a girl, all impossibly blonde and all seemingly around her age. They are lying in a heap on the floor, limbs tangled together.

"See what you did?" the girl complains, "This is totally your fault Lorc."

One of the boys grumbles something Grace can't understand as she walks over to them. "Are you guys okay?" she asks, offering a hand to the girl.

"Fine," the girl says brightly, jumping up with an energy that Grace finds rather amazing. "Hi, I'm Eva! And these are my brothers. Lysander," she points to one of them, who is the tiniest fraction shorter than the otherwise identical boy, "and the clumsy one is Lorcan." Said boy looks at the ground, blushing faintly.

"Grace," she introduces herself, "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Eva and Lysander chorus. Lorcan just nods shyly.

"Are you guys first years too?"

"Yup, three first years coming right up," Lysander laughs and Grace finds herself smiling. They are entertaining if nothing else.

"Do you… have a compartment yet?" she looks at them hopefully, because maybe they will sit with her. She doesn't expect Tim to do that, sitting with the little sister is not cool, after all, but she really doesn't want to sit by herself.

Eva shakes her head. "Nahh… do you? Can we sit with you?"

"Sure," she smiles, "It's right there."

"Awesome," Eva shoulders past one of her brothers on the way to the compartment and he stumbles forward into Grace. She thinks it's Lorcan, but she can't be sure anymore now that they've started moving.

"Sorry," the boy exclaims, reaching out to steady Grace before pulling back as if he was burned. She hears his brother snicker quietly. The boy blushes furiously.

She smiles at him. "It's fine." And then, after looking at him for a moment with her head tilted to the side, she asks. "Are you okay?"

He nods hurriedly and she smiles, relieved. "Come on. Let's get in the compartment." She takes his arm and pulls him inside.

The sight that unfolds in front of them as they enter is one Grace remembers fondly as the moment she knew that she could definitely like these people. Eva and the brother she thinks is probably Lysander are sitting next to each other, laughing loudly at who knows what. They stop hurriedly when Eva punches her brother's shoulder upon seeing the open door, but there's no malice behind it, no true anger. The other boy, she decides to call him Lorcan for now, at least in her head, sighs wearily but when she glances at him she sees the ghost of a smile on his face. No hard feelings then.

"What's so funny?" she asks with a smile of her own.

"Nothing," Lysander says quickly, before subsiding to another fit of giggles.

"Are you excited for Hogwarts?" Eva asks, grinning widely.

Grace nods and sits down opposite of her. "Yes! I can't wait to see it!"

"Me neither," Eva replies, elbowing Lysander lightly, but that just sets him off again.

"I want to see the ghosts," Grace says.

"I'm looking forward to the Great Hall," Lorcan adds softly.

"Library," Lysander gets out between bouts of laughter. Grace smiles. She understands that very well. Then they all turn to Eva.

The blonde girl grins, savoring the moment and lifts her chin. "I," she says, her voice is loud and bold, "want to ride the squid."

"Ride the squid?" Grace asks incredulous, "Is that even possible?"

"I will make it so," Eva says still in that voice. Then she flashes Grace a grin. "You can come along if you want."

"Umm… sure? Sounds interesting," Grace isn't quite sure how serious Eva is being but it does sound kind of interesting.

Eva looks at her for a long moment and Grace tries her best not to squirm.

"I like you," the blonde declares finally.

* * *

 **End note:**

Please leave a review! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what you're curious about, tell me hi, if that's all you have to say. Feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 **Also: TIME JUMP to fifth year next chapter!**


	2. Saturday, March 19th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling...**

 **Author's note:** Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and favorited! I'm glad to know you enjoy the story!

We're time jumping about four and a half years, so they're all 16 now (still in fifth year though).

Now, without further ado I give you chapter one.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 **Saturday, March 19th 2022**

 **Black Lake, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Lorcan hums quietly to himself, rather lost in thought as he sits on a large rock overlooking the lake. It's really and truly spring now (finally) and he's glad for it. He had been getting quite tired of winter. He watches small ripples appear on the dark surface of the lake and wonders whether it's the squid waking up from its hibernation.

"Knut for your thoughts?" his sister leans against the rock and looks up at him.

"They're really not worth the money, Evie," he smiles at her.

She laughs. "They very much are. You were humming that song again. What's it called?"

He shakes his head fondly, because it's one of his favorites and he's told her about it more than a few times, but she forgets its name every single time. Or at least she pretends to, he isn't quite sure sometimes. " _If I told you_ ," he says. "And I told you _that_ a gazillion times already."

She just laughs louder and bends down to pick a flower that she twirls in her hand as she speaks. "You know, Lorc… you get out that song when you have a crush on someone."

"Not just anyone," he says before he can stop himself, and Eva looks at him curiously.

"And who is not just anyone?" she asks.

Lorcan shakes his head. "I'd rather not…"

Eva smiles at him. "Doesn't matter. I think I know."

He watches her play with the flower in her hands and thinks that she might just be right, because she can read him like no one else, except perhaps their mother. They don't say anything for a while and when her boyfriend calls out to her, she smiles at Lorcan and tucks the flower behind her brother's ear before she goes to meet Brandon.

Lorcan stays, staring at the lake, and tells himself that it's better to just leave it be this time. There are some things that are too good to risk breaking them. He just wishes he wouldn't forget about that the moment she smiles at him.

* * *

Please leave a review :) Next chapter will be longer again, I promise :)


	3. Thursday, March 24th 2022

**Author's Note:** Alright everyone, next chapter :) it's been pointed out to me that people might like to know what song Lorcan was humming because there's more than one song out there called If I told you. The song (which is also where the title comes from) is by Nick Howard and it's a pretty good way to get a look inside Lorcan's head if you're curious about that, because we have a looooong way to go until we get to his perspective again.

 **Disclaimer: I am not JKR.**

Now without further ado: Chapter Two!

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 **Thursday, March 24th 2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace pushes her hair out of her face and re-reads the page for the tenth time. Numerical magic honestly isn't as fascinating as it sounds at first, but she is determined to pass her Arithmancy OWL with at least an EE if not an O. But maybe, she'll study for Runes right now, because it's a whole lot less frustrating. She looks up from her book and is surprised by the amount of people in the common room. There certainly weren't as many here when she began studying.

She sees Louisa and Carla by one of the shelves arguing about Louisa's favorite book again, no doubt. Noah and Jason are talking quietly about a chart they have laid out on what little table space is not occupied by Noah's sitting on it. Archie and Zoe sit next to each other on the floor close to the entrance, heads bent together and talking in hushed tones. The door opens and Dominique Weasley walks in her head held high, a book bag over her shoulder. Grace watches her walk past, they're not close, they never have been. They probably never will be. Dominique is cautious about getting close to people because she bears a famous name. Grace supposes she can see where she's coming from, but Eva's name is famous too and personally, Grace likes her way of dealing with it much better.

"Hello Lysander," Dominique has one of those voices that carry above all noise and even so the Ravenclaw common room is never particularly noisy. The boy on the couch nods at her as she passes and his lips twitch.

Grace's eyes narrow. It doesn't quite look like Lysander, the way he sits on the couch. Of course, this is the Ravenclaw common room, so it should be Lysander. She snaps her book shut and gets up.

"I was wondering when you'd notice me," he says when she sits down next to him. It's most definitely not Lysander's voice.

"You're here for me?" she asks.

"You missed dinner," he says softly. "Evie and I were worried."

"Sorry," she glances at him and he smiles.

"It's fine. As long as you eat something now."

"Like what?"

"Like those sandwiches I brought?"

"Oh," she laughs at herself, because she honestly hadn't noticed. And he laughs along and suddenly, they're okay in a way that they so rarely are, because somehow it always gets a little bit awkward when it's just the two of them.

She sits cross-legged on the couch and turns to face him as she eats.

"What had you so engrossed that you didn't look up for an entire hour?" he asks her curiously.

She pulls a face. "Arithmancy."

He laughs at her again. "You chose to take that class."

"Don't remind me," she sighs. "Have you started studying yet?"

He shakes his head and she smiles because it's so like him and just like that they talk the night away.

The common room clears out around them without either of them noticing as they reminisce and philosophize and laugh until they're both hurting. And before they know it the sun is rising and bathing the common room in its light and…

"Your hair looks like blood and gold, Lorcan."

"You're tired, Gracie."

"Hmmm…" she glances at the clock, "Three hours until class. No sense in going to sleep now."

He gets up and stretches, "I suppose you're right. I should get back to my own common room though."

She nods, her legs still folded. "Yeah probably."

"I'm sorry for keeping you up," he looks at the glowing embers in the fireplace and she smiles, because this is so Lorcan. His siblings would never apologize for keeping her up until sunrise.

"Don't be," she untangles her legs and stands next to him. "I actually meant to thank you. I haven't had that much fun in a while."

He smiles crookedly at her. "Alright. I'll see you at breakfast then."

She nods. "See you. Gryffindor table today," she reminds him. And then he's gone as if he was never there in the first place.

She goes up to her dorm and sits on the bed. She falls asleep there, sitting up and still fully dressed. It's Louisa, who wakes her. And Carla smiles knowingly at Grace over her best friend's shoulder, while Zoe sing-songs in the background. "Did someone stay up late talking to Lysander?"

She doesn't tell them that she only just got there half an hour ago and she certainly doesn't tell them that it was not Lysander she stayed up with, but Lorcan. They'd just blow it out of proportion. Besides, she thinks she might like for this one to be her secret.

* * *

Please leave a review! Tell me what you think, what you liked, what you're curious about! I get way to excited about every single review, so if you would... that'd make my day :)

Either way, thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day!


	4. Thursday, March 31st 2022

**Author's Note:** I actually don't have much to say this time. Just... enjoy!

 **Disclaimer: I am still not JKR...**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 **Thursday, March 31st 2022**

 **Great Hall, Hogwarts, Scotland**

She doesn't miss dinner the next Thursday. The table of choice that day is the Hufflepuff table and Lorcan looks as much at home here as Lysander doesn't. Grace can't help but grin at the way the eldest of the triplets squirms every time someone offers him something. Eva laughs next to Grace, already in her Quidditch robes and Molly Weasley slides into place next to Lorcan and opposite of the girls.

"Are you quite alright, Lysander?" she asks with a friendly smile. Grace likes Molly Weasley, she's kind and sweet and most definitely teasing Lysander.

"Yes, Lysander, are you alright?" Eva snickers and even Lorcan can't quite hide his smile. There are things between the siblings that Grace doesn't know about, she's fully aware of that, but she stopped minding a long time ago. Instead, she catches Lysander's pleading look across the table and shrugs helplessly.

"Are you guys really going to practice in this weather?" she asks her best friend with a glance at the ceiling.

Eva just smiles. "Of course. We need to be prepared for anything. You know that, Gracie." Grace does know that, but she will never understand it, so she just sighs and shakes her head as Eva shoves a few more bites of her noodles into her mouth. "And that's my cue actually," the older girl grabs her broom from underneath the bench and gets up. "I will see you all at breakfast." She pulls a face at her brothers and touches Grace's shoulder lightly before sauntering down the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables.

They watch her go, before turning back to the table in unison. Molly laughs, "I swear, when she leaves you become the third triplet, Grace."

Lysander laughs along and waggles his eyebrows at his brother, who just rolls his eyes. Grace shakes her head. "That's weird, Molly," she says. "Those two are most definitely not my brothers."

"Aww, why ever not, Gracie?" Lysander asks as he ducks underneath the table to sit next to her. "I am wounded."

"You're still my favorite annoying prat, Lysander," Grace pats his arms consolingly. "I swear."

"I am so glad," he pretends to slump in relief and leans against her shoulder.

Grace catches Lorcan's eyes with hers. He is looking at them strangely but when she mouths 'Help,' he smiles at her and shrugs lightly.

"Get off me, Ly," she whines as Molly leans over and whispers something to Lorcan, but before she can wonder about it, Zoe has plopped herself onto the bench beside her.

"Can you please help me with my Ancient Runes essay, Grace?" She tries her best puppy dog eyes on the shorter girl, "Pretty please?"

"Of course, Zoe," Grace smiles. "When?"

"Right now? You know that one's kind of due err… tomorrow…"

Grace sighs quietly. "Zoe, really, you need to start getting your stuff done on time."

"I was busy. Archie and I were researching this potion…"

"Tell me about it tomorrow," Grace interrupts. "We have an essay to finish."

Zoe grins and pulls her off the bench and out of the great hall. "You and Lysander seemed awfully cozy there, Grace," she comments as they reach the common room.

"Runes."

Two hours later Grace is ready to set something on fire, but at least Zoe's essay is done.

"You're a saint, Grace," Zoe smiles and Grace smiles back.

"You are," someone comments from behind them. "You should have been in Hufflepuff. Zoe, Archie asked me to tell you that he's up in our dorm and it's almost done. Whatever it is. Do I get to know?"

Grace looks up at Lysander tiredly and absently listens to the conversation he strikes up with Zoe on the way to the fifth year boy's dorm. She walks over to the couch and lets herself fall onto it face first. Zoe, as much as she likes her, is exhausting sometimes.

She has almost drifted off to sleep, when a voice next to her ear startles her back to wakefulness. "Hard day?"

She turns her head and opens one eye. "Lorcan?"

"Hi," he smiles as she sits up slightly. "Is there room for me?"

"Sure," she pulls her legs toward the rest of her body and he sits. "I had dinner this week," she points out with a quiet smile.

"I saw," he smiles as well, "but Molly deserted me for some girl thing, so I thought I'd come see if you were still in Zoe's clutches."

"So I'm you're plan B?"

"No… never… you…" His cheeks turn red and he stumbles over the words. It's kind of cute, she thinks, before she can stop herself. Best friend's brother, Grace, she chastises internally.

"I was joking, Lorc," she laughs, "Just joking." His smile is definitely relieved when she says that and she finds herself smiling as well. "Have you ever read the Never-Ending Story?"

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review!


	5. Thursday, April 7th 2022

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter :(**

 **Author's Note:** Here you go! Chapter Four! Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 **Thursday, April 7** **th** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Lorcan is there first this time. Grace spots him almost instantly when she returns from her trip to the library with Louisa and she wonders when she started checking the couch in front of the fireplace for a shock of blonde hair that is so easily mistaken for Lysander's but to her is most distinctly Lorcan.

"Lou?" she turns to the tall blonde whose arm is linked with hers. "Do you mind finding Carla on your own?" Her eyes flicker over to the couch, and Louisa's grin tells her that she caught that, but Grace doesn't really care.

"Not at all, go ahead." She can feel Louisa's eyes on her as she walks over to where Lorcan is sitting and leans over the back of the couch to see what he's doing. He's reading. She smiles at the familiar story.

"Babbitty Rabbitty?" she asks fondly as she turns so she can see the side of his face. His head whips around so fast, she swears she can hear his neck make a cracking noise, and she wants to ask if he's okay, but the words get stuck in her throat. Instead she stares at him, her mouth opened slightly, because he's so close that their noses are almost touching.

"Grace," his breath tickles her face. It smells of mint and citrus. She swallows and forces herself to smile a bit too widely and climb over the back of the couch so she's sitting next to him and he's no longer that close.

"Hey," she smooths her uniform skirt out slightly. "So which one's your favorite?"

"Babbitty Rabbitty," he closes the book, marking his page with a scrap of parchment. "Yours?"

"I've always liked the Fountain of Fair Fortune," she tells him. "I love that the fountain isn't magical at all."

He smiles at her enthusiasm. "It's kind of poetic, isn't it?" A strand of hair falls into her face when she nods and he raises his hand as if to brush it away, but doesn't. Instead he waves it about awkwardly. "I like that Babbitty is an animagus," he admits quietly. "That's my favorite part."

She smiles at him and ignores the strange feeling of disappointment that coils in her stomach. She shouldn't be disappointed, she tells herself. She leaves the strand of hair where it is.

"Ashlyn and Timothy are both weirdly fascinated by the Wizard's Hairy Heart," she shudders at the thought.

He pulls a face. "Grace, you're awesome and all, but I swear I will never understand your siblings."

She laughs. "Just like I will never understand Scorpius and Leigh. And sometimes Lysander."

Lorcan grins at her and he looks so happy with her words that she'd never dare tell him he can be confusing sometimes. Except on Thursday evenings, it would seem, because they are surprisingly comfortable still, despite her invasion of his personal space earlier.

"Will you read to me?" she asks quietly. She has to look up at him even when they're sitting because he's honestly ridiculously tall (or maybe she's just really, really short), but it doesn't bother her.

He blinks, slowly and for a moment she can see his mother in him. "Of course," he says finally and she smiles a bit too widely again. This time it's not on purpose. She just can't help herself.

* * *

 **Please leave a review! And thank you for reading!**


	6. Thursday, April 14th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling.**

 **Author's Note:** We're heading into the realm of short chapters now. It's definitely the later chapters that are the reason why the chapter word count averages in the 900s (which compared to some other works is still short, but... oh well). Five out of the next eight chapters have less than four hundred words. But hey... short and sweet, right?

 **So either way, I hope you enjoy Chapter Five!**

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 **Thursday, April 14th 2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

It's late, almost eleven, when he plops himself down onto the couch next to her, and plucks her transfiguration notes from her hands. "I am done," he announces. "And so are you. At least for today."

She frowns slightly, "But…"

"No. If I have to see you study for one more minute, I am going to burn your Runes book," he says, looking entirely serious. And quite exhausted.

"That's a bit excessive, don't you think?" But she grabs her bag and puts her books away, before slowly, gently taking the notes he is clutching out of his hands. She stuffs them in the bag uncaringly and returns her attention to Lorcan.

"Are you alright?" She asks him quietly. He nods. He shakes his head.

"I'm going to go crazy. There's so much homework to do and I should study for OWLs and…"

She looks at him worriedly. "Do you need anything? I think I've got cauldron cakes and pumpkin juice up in my dorm." She's already up and ready to go find those two things she has more for others than herself, because she could care less about cauldron cakes and she hates pumpkin juice. He likes it, though. And so do his siblings. And hers. So she keeps it handy.

His hand grabs hers suddenly and she looks at him, more startled than she'd like to admit. "No, no. I'm fine, just... stay here?" He tugs on her hand gently to get her to sit back down and she does. A good deal closer than she did before.

"It's almost Easter break, Lorc," she tells him quietly. "Just one more day."

"As if we'll do anything but homework," he pulls a face, "and revision."

He's right. Of course he is, this is OWL year after all, but she can't stand to see him so stressed so she tries to come up with something, anything, to distract him. "Are you going home?" she asks. But he just shakes his head and she knows it's useless today. He won't be good conversation.

So they sit together. He doesn't make a sound and she hums tune after tune quietly until she feels him relax beside her.

"Thank you, Gracie," he whispers just before he leaves.

Neither of them acknowledges that they hadn't let go of each other's hands until then.

* * *

 **Please leave a review if you can spare a moment of your time :)**


	7. Thursday, April 21st 2022

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's Note:** As I said, short chapters. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 **Thursday, April 21** **st** **2022**

 **Great Hall, Hogwarts, Scotland**

The Gryffindor table is loud; there is simply no other way to say it. Grace sits next to Eva and across from the boys as always and picks at her food listlessly. Despite the fact that this is their Easter break, there has been very little time to relax. Most of the week has been spent in the library or occasionally on the grounds, but Grace has not gone anywhere without taking materials for at least two subjects along. She sighs quietly.

"Gracie?" She can feel Eva's worried looks, but she doesn't turn from her food. "Are you okay?"

Grace sighs again and looks up from her plate, "Yeah, I'm fine." She studies the other fifth years at the table. James Potter's hair is even messier than usual, next to him Fred Weasley has light circles under his eyes. Both of them look tired as they grin and joke and laugh a little too loudly. Louisa's cousin Daniel is watching them with an amused smile, but his heart doesn't quite seem to be in it. On his left, Oliver Ianiro has fallen asleep leaning against his girlfriend Caitlin, who is engaged in a conversation about charms with Rosa Carmichael next to Grace. On Eva's other side, Sarah Leigh is talking quietly to Vanessa McCall, who just came over from the Hufflepuff table. Sarah nods at something and leans over to whisper in Eva's ear.

Eva, in turn, leans her head on Grace's shoulder. "Girls night tomorrow in the Hufflepuff dorm?"

"Sounds good," Grace smiles at her best friend.

Eva grins. "Pass it on. And catch up on some sleep tonight."

Grace makes a noncommittal noise and turns to Rosa to tell her about the plan that she is sure stems from Molly Weasley. When they finish their conversation and Rosa leans across the table to talk to Caitlin, Grace catches Lorcan watching them. She smiles and he returns the gesture and she knows that she will not be catching up on sleep tonight.

* * *

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	8. Thursday, April 28th 2022

**Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's Note:** I spent a lot of time watching Kurt Hugo Schneider's Epic Patty Cake song on youtube while I was writing this. Go figure... Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Thursday, April 28** **th** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace is humming under her breath, clapping her hands and snapping her fingers in an attempt to remember the elaborate patty-cake song Alexandra had taught them last Friday.

"What are you doing?" His voice startles a small squeak out of her.

"Lorcan!" she hisses, a hand pressed to her chest. He just smiles a little sheepishly. "Alex tried to teach us last Friday. She calls it an epic patty-cake song."

He sits down. "An epic patty-cake song?"

She nods. "Yeah. I think I have it down mostly by now. But it's technically meant for four people. The actual patty-cake part is pretty much the same for all, but there's four different vocal parts to go along with it."

"So who did she teach it to?" he asks with a smile. She isn't sure if he is just indulging her or actually interested, but she tells him anyway.

"Oh, everyone, really. But only Coral, Diane, Molly, Carla, Louisa, Eva and I learned the vocals. Which worked fine because it meant that with Alex there were eight of us." She smiles at him. "Alex says it's supposed to be two male and two female vocalists, but well… we didn't have any guys around."

"You could have just gotten some," he points out. "There were enough in the common room, I'm sure."

"Are you volunteering, Lorc?" she laughs and he looks caught off guard for a second. "I could teach you," she says before he has a chance to say no.

"Ahhh… Gracie…" he doesn't look too enamored with the idea, but she turns her best puppy dog eyes on him and he relents. "Alright, fine. But stop looking at me like that."

"Yay!" she gets up and does a little victory dance while she goes to grab a chair so she can sit opposite of him properly. "Alright so first, you clap your hands together like so, and then we both clap each other's right hand," she demonstrates into the space between them, "then you clap your hands again and after that it's left hands together…"

* * *

 **Please leave a review!**

 **Thank you for reading :)**


	9. Thursday, May 5th 2022

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything that was created by JKR.  
**

 **Author's Note:** A little longer this time. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 **Thursday, May 5** **th** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace isn't sitting on the couch. There are only four and a half weeks left until OWLs and she still isn't quite happy with her knowledge of antidotes, so today she chooses to sit at one of the small round study tables. She finishes writing another word quite forcefully and her quill is starting to feel bristly in her hand, but she pays it no mind as she finishes her sentence by jabbing it onto the parchment in what was to result in a full stop. Instead, it punches a small hole in the sheet of notes. She sighs in frustration and her grip on her quill tightens. It breaks in half.

Grace stares at the quill, her blue eyes impossibly wide. She has never broken a quill. Someone sits down next to her and a much larger hand gently pries her fingers from where they are clenched around the remains of her favorite quill. When the broken parts are strewn all over her notes, he gently massages the appendage. "Come sit with me, Gracie?"

She nods numbly and lets him lead her over to the couch in front of the fireplace. They sit and he pulls her to his side. She leans her head against his shoulder. "You're stressing yourself out too much," he whispers and she feels his breath ghosting over the top of her head. So he's looking at her then. He's probably worried. She doesn't want to worry him, but she needs those grades, she's been looking into early admission to the healer's training program and they take only the very best right out of school. "Grace?" his fingers are underneath her chin and he's making her look at him and she isn't sure if she wants to. She doesn't want to see how worried he truly is.

She meets his eyes uncertainly. "Gracie, you need to stop working so much. It's not healthy. You don't eat enough and I have it on good authority that you don't sleep nearly as much as you should." She opens her mouth not sure if she wants to argue or not, but he just shakes his head and continues, "You'll do fine, Gracie. You'll do great. If you don't get your OWL results back with at least seven O's then I'll eat Eva's broom." She closes her mouth again. His fingers are still pressed to her chin lightly. "But you can't keep going like this; you'll pass out from exhaustion one of these days." He sighs quietly.

"Please," his voice is so quiet she barely hears it. "Please, Gracie. Take a break." She finds herself nodding if only to make him look less worried and he smiles in relief.

"You know, Molly is apparently just as in love with that patty-cake song as you are," he tells her, "I saw her drag of Coral, Diane and Alex to practice the other day. Anna and Dorian have been getting quite cozy these past few weeks. And Dominique tells me that Archie has a thing for Zoe. Is that true?" Grace hums an affirmative and leans against him. "And Brandon has been acting strange lately…" she listens to him talk about their classmates without really hearing his words and lets the sound of his voice soothe her to sleep.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Also if you would leave a review and brighten my day a little (because my computer crashed just when I was making progress on the chapter I'd been stuck on for a week), that would be great!  
**


	10. Thursday, May 12th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR...**

 **Author's Note:** Chapter Nine for you!

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

 **Thursday, May 12th 2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

"Grace," Lorcan's voice is urgent and his usual smile is absent from his face. He is much later than she expected him to be.

"Is everything okay?" she looks up at him and closes The Tales of Beedle the Bard with a snap.

"No, no," he runs a hand over his face and sits down next to her. "It's… it's Evie. I can't find her, she's… and Brandon…" He shakes his head.

"Okay. Calm down. From the beginning," she looks at him steadily. "Eva and Brandon. Did they fight? Did they break up?"

"No, it's… I stumbled across Brandon in the hallway by the charms classroom," he takes a deep breath, "with Melissa Hopkins."

"Melissa… fourth year?" she asks and he nods in reply. "Maybe he's helping her with homework?"

Lorcan snorts. "He was not helping her with homework, Grace. There was very little talking."

Grace curses quietly. "So he's…?" When he nods again, another string of expletives leaves her mouth.

"Oh, it gets worse," he says darkly. She looks at him, not daring to ask how it could possibly get worse, but she doesn't have to. "Eva saw, too."

"Was she with you?"

"She was at the other end of the hallway, staring at them. When she saw me she turned around and ran." He sags, it's almost like watching him crumble. "I couldn't find her."

She touches his shoulder lightly, "Do you want to go look again?"

"Would you? I didn't want to stand you up," he admits quietly.

"She's your sister, but she's also my best friend," she tells him, ignoring the little flutter in her chest. Now is not the time. "Let's get going."

They stand up and she leads the way out the door and down the spiral staircase. They search in silence for the most part, only occasionally suggesting a new place to look until they hear someone sniffle quietly and then the sound of something breaking and they surge forward.

The blonde figure is slumped on a desk in an abandoned classroom. Broken pieces of a chair surround her.

"Evie?" Grace whispers, and suddenly she has an armful of shaking girl and Lorcan is holding them both. And it's almost like last year only it's Eva that needs held now and it doesn't matter anyway.

"We've got you, Evie."

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review :)


	11. Thursday, May 19th 2022

**Disclaimer: Anything that you recognize from JKR's works is obviously not mine.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

 **Thursday, May 19th 2022**

 **Great Hall, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Their seating arrangement has changed. Grace still sits next to Eva, but Lysander sits on her other side these days and Lorcan sits across from them, flanked by different people depending on which table they're sitting at. Today that leaves Grace facing Meredith Longbottom, while Molly talks quietly to Lysander. Meredith is a quiet person, much quieter than Molly, but she is fiercely loyal and even if she's more Lorcan's friend than Eva's, she sits by them and glares at Brandon with as much ferocity as any of the others. Grace is thankful for her quiet, solid presence.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait for you?" she asks Eva softly.

"Yes," Eva says firmly. "Practice will probably run late and after I'll have Rosa and Sarah and the others around." She squeezes Grace's hand. "Don't worry too much about me. I can take care of myself."

And she can, Grace knows she can, everyone knows who is responsible for Brandon's black eye and his bloody nose even if no one says it out loud. And she's pretty sure there is more than one rumor about Brandon's potions mishap just this week and his missing essays that he insists he did, but no one dares mention it to her.

It's just as well, she supposes, she doesn't need anyone else to tell her what she already knows. She has better things to do than worry about rumors. Because despite the fact that she knows Eva can take care of herself, she worries. She worries about her eating habits. She worries about how much time and energy Eva invests into Quidditch. She worries about the way Eva's lip trembles when she thinks no one is looking.

Her musings are interrupted when Eva leans against her. "You've got your worry face on, Gracie." The shorter girl just smiles sheepishly. "I've got to go in a minute," Eva tells her, "do take care of all the other worrywarts." Grace looks up at her questioningly and Eva bends her head to whisper into her ear. "Lorcan looks like he thinks I'll burst out crying the minute I'm out of sight. Can you just… sit with him? Just dinner, that's all I ask, I know how you two get."

Grace nods. She feels bad. She didn't just not tell her roommates she stayed up late with Lorcan, she also never told Eva that they're fine these days, that it's not awkward. And she feels even worse because she'd still like for this one to be her secret.

"Thank you," Eva smiles half-heartedly and gets up, grabbing her broom. "I'll see you guys around."

They watch her leave, so much more subdued than she usually is and when she is gone they turn back to the table in unison. Molly doesn't comment, she just keeps eating silently and Grace is so thankful that these people know tact.

They sit in silence for a while, until Meredith finishes and looks at the others. "Is… anyone else leaving?"

"I'll come with you," Molly says as Lysander gets up. Grace and Lorcan look at each other for a brief moment and shake their heads.

"See you tomorrow," Lysander says and Grace thinks that maybe she should be wondering what Lysander goes off to do on those evenings that she and Lorcan spend in the common room. The two have not been in the room at the same time as of yet. Then, she wonders if Lysander knows, and purposely stays away.

And so she asks "Did you tell him?" as soon as the others are out of earshot instead of the million other things she wanted to say about Eva and worrying and OWLs.

His eyebrows pull together in a frown and he looks so hurt, that she instantly knows he didn't. She ducks underneath the table and sits next to him. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. That sounded harsh, didn't it?" She bites her lip and tries to get a good look at his face. He turns away from her to continue eating and she silently curses herself.

"Lorcan?" she tries again. "I really am sorry. I'm just… kind of on edge because I worry about Eva and I can see you worrying yourself sick and then I worry even more and… don't be mad at me?"

He doesn't say anything, but he leans in her direction slightly, which she takes as both an 'I'm not' and an invitation to lean her head on his shoulder, so she does.

She watches him eat silently and when he's finished and he turns to her and says "Let's get out of here," she nods and gets up. They walk out of the Great Hall, unaware of the eyes that are following them. Unaware of the rumors they leave behind. And really… they don't care.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Please leave a review?**


	12. Thursday, May 26th 2022

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's note:** I know, I know. I didn't update on Saturday and now this chapter is super short. In my defense, my weekend was incredibly busy. And I'll be putting up the next chapter either tonight or tomorrow (and that one is almost three times as long as this one). But generally, the update schedule might change, because I'm back to Uni as of today and there might be some days on which I simply cannot update as a rule, but I'll figure that out and let you know if there are any permanent changes :) And now enough of me. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

 **Thursday, May 26** **th** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

There is a hand on top of her notes, Grace stares at it for a second before looking up at its owner. "There is a hand on my notes," she says dryly.

His lips twitch. "I know," he says. "No studying tonight, okay?"

She purses her lips, looks at the shadows under his eyes and knows that it isn't just because of OWLs. "Only if you promise that there will be no worrying either."

"I promise," he says. "Come on." She follows him over to their couch; he sits at one end and leans against the armrest. She grins at him and lies down with her feet in his lap, propped up on a pillow she leans against the other armrest.

"Is that all I am good for?" he asks her with a grin of his own.

She laughs. "I'm sure you have many uses. This is merely one of them."

"And what other uses do I have?" His grin hasn't vanished, but Grace knows how fast this conversation could veer into dangerous territory, so she chooses her answer carefully.

"You're good for reading to me," she says with a smile. And then, because she feels it's not enough, she keeps going. "You're good for talking all night long, and you're good for comfortable silence. You're good for making me stop studying and you're good for calming me down. You're good for helping take care of Evie and you're good for doing slightly stupid things just because I asked you to." She pauses. This was not what she had in mind when she decided not to let this conversation take a turn for the potentially awkward and she needs to fix it. "Plus," she adds with a mischievous smile, "you're pretty to look at."

He laughs and she hopes that at least for now her last comment can distract him from the rambling she did before. "So are you, Gracie," he says and she's suddenly too busy worrying about the blush rising in her cheeks to get hung up on her little rant.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and keep an eye out for the next chapter (as I said either today or tomorrow)! Have a wonderful day!  
**


	13. Thursday, June 2nd 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR**

 **Author's Note:** Here's that chapter I promised you :) Also right now, real life is really, really busy. Maybe it'll calm down once I've established a routine again, but for right now I can't say when I'll be able to update again, simply because I actually need to be near my computer and some days that just doesn't happen. (Right now I'm mostly here because I have Uni stuff to do still, sooo...). Anyways, I'll try for an update within the next two days, but I can't promise updates will be as regular as they were. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

 **Thursday, June 2** **nd** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

She stares at her notes and quietly recites a series of locking sequences. The couch is soft against her back, the common room hums quietly with activity, and the lamps are being turned on now that the sun is starting to set, but she doesn't notice any of that. There is too much desperate focus, too much need to cram this in her head again even if she's read it five times already today and if she doesn't remember it by now, she won't remember it tomorrow.

Two large hands come to rest on her shoulders and she is startled for only a second until she realizes who is standing behind her. She relaxes even before her brain has time to string the observations of her senses into a thought.

"You're awfully tense," Lorcan comments as his thumbs rub gentle circles on her shoulder blades and she makes a little approving noise. He chuckles. "Is that good?" he asks, his hands stilling.

"Don't stop," she protests.

"Put that away," he nods to her notes, and she frowns slightly.

"But Arithmancy is tomorrow!"

He shakes his head. "You are putting that away. We said no studying and no worrying, remember? Besides, last minute studying has never helped anyone and you don't need it either way." When she opens her mouth to protest again, he says, "You also don't get a massage if you don't put that in your bag." That shuts her up rather effectively and she wonders briefly if she is easy to read, but putting those notes away has priority right now.

"There," she straightens and tilts her head back to look at him. "Happy?"

"Very," his hands find her shoulders again, but she shakes her head slightly. Now that she has stopped to think about it, she won't make him stand.

"Sit here," she motions to the spot beside her and he does. His hands reach for her shoulders once again and he tugs gently. She turns, recognizing the gesture for the silent request that it is, until her back is facing him. She doesn't see his smile, but she is sure it's there as he turns his attention to her tense muscles.

"Sweet mother of Merlin, Grace, what have you been doing?" She smiles slightly, even as she catches Zoe watching them across the room and makes a mental note to ask her to let it be, to let her be, to let them be.

"Studying," she says, "Worrying." She doesn't shrug, but only because it would be sin to interrupt him now as his hands are slowly easing her into a state of blissful relief.

A quiet moan escapes her unbidden and he stops his ministrations. "That is an entirely improper noise," his voice is tightly restrained and she doesn't know why it would be that, but maybe that's because her brain has turned to mush. The whine makes it past her lips only because she can't find it in herself to stop it. He laughs softly, but does not return to what he was doing. Instead, his hands run down her arms and wrap around her waist. He pulls her against his chest lightly, almost hesitantly. Almost, she thinks, as if he is not sure if she will allow it.

But where he is unsure of his welcome, she is not, and she leans against his chest and rests her head against his shoulder. "Who taught you that?" she asks quietly. So quietly, that he bows his head towards her in an attempt to hear her better. She smiles, even as she notices that Carla has caught sight of them and she makes a mental note to prepare herself for a grilling.

"Would you believe that Dad did?" he asks with a chuckle that reverberates through both of them.

"Really?" she turns to look at him and he is so impossibly close once again and it still takes her breath away, but she reigns herself in. "You know, Gran taught me how to give facial massages." And then, not sure if she is feeling daring or if she simply cannot handle the close proximity and needs to change it, she adds. "I could show you."

"Could you?" he asks in that same tightly restrained voice he used earlier. There's something almost frighteningly intense in the way he looks at her and she has to swallow before she can reply.

"You're going to have to lie down," she says, grabbing a pillow and extracting herself from his embrace perhaps a bit too regretfully. She sits down behind him in a tailor seat and places the pillow in her lap. He sits as well, looking a bit unsure, but she smiles and gently guides him until his head is in her lap and the rest of his body is stretched out along the length of the couch. "Close your eyes," she says quietly, and begins her treatment the moment he complies.

She doesn't notice at first that he has fallen asleep and when she does, she doesn't have the heart to wake him. Instead, she leans against the couch sideways. She knows her back will protest in the morning and she knows he will protest because she undid all of his hard work. But right now, she doesn't care.

She smiles and just before her eyes close, she sees Louisa across the common room, her eyebrows raised. She is too tired to make another mental note, too content to consider what will come. She wonders, just briefly, if they will allow for this one to remain her secret before her eyes close all the way and she falls into sleep's waiting arms.

* * *

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	14. Thursday, June 9th 2022

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.**

 **Author's Note:** Since I'll be quite busy tomorrow and probably the rest of the week as well and because if we had stayed on the every other day posting-schedule, I would have posted today, and also because I happened to have Uni work to do on the computer, I decided to give you this chapter now. It's the longest so far (by a good bit)! The next chapter will be up on Friday at the earliest. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 **Thursday, June 9** **th** **2022**

 **Great Hall, Hogwarts, Scotland**

There will be no chance for their usual quiet privacy today, Grace knows, not with OWLs finally behind all of them. Dinner is a noisy affair as the fifth and seventh years celebrate the fact that their studying has come to an end.

She sits next to Eva at the Ravenclaw table, Lorcan and Lysander have gone back to sitting opposite of them, and grins lightly as Dorian reaches out to pull Anna into his lap when she walks past. Her indignant squeal is lost in the uproar of laughter that is so very untypical at this table. But today is different.

That observation is reinforced by James Potter, who sits down between Grace and Eva and announces, "No practice today, Miss Malfoy." Grace sees Eva's raised eyebrow and her slight frown and knows her friend is not at all happy with that notion.

"Why?"

"Well, of course because we are being generous and allowing our fellow fifth years to use the pitch to have a party," James says as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and perhaps to him it is. He turns to the rest of the table. "You are all invited, obviously." The sweep of his hand encompasses more than just the fifth years and Grace leans out of the way to avoid being hit by his grand gesturing.

She catches Eva's eye and gets a grin and a nod, before looking at Lorcan and Lysander. Lysander is just as enthusiastic as his sister and Lorcan shrugs as if to say "We might as well," so Grace resigns herself to spending the evening at a party with a small smile.

She doesn't like parties, she never has, and she doesn't go if she can avoid it, but as James Potter gets up and she looks at her closest friends, she thinks that it might not be too bad.

There is a buzz of excitement that pervades the rest of their dinner and the moment Grace has taken her last bite, she is dragged from the hall by Eva.

"You have to wear the red dress," Eva is already making plans before they leave the hall.

Grace looks at her. "Which one?" she asks a little warily as she does her best not to stumble on their fast-paced way up the stairs.

Eva laughs. "The one with the lace," she says. "It's gorgeous on you and you know it."

"It looks better on you," Grace tries to argue, even though she knows that Eva has made up her mind and there will be no talking her out of this.

"No it doesn't," Eva waves her free hand dismissively. "Besides, I'm wearing the white one with the black bow."

Grace has to admit that it's a good choice for Eva, she looks absolutely stunning in both black and white. "But the red dress is kind of see-through," she argues. "Tim will have a fit if he sees."

"As if your brother will be there," Eva rolls her eyes and Grace is pulled into a shortcut. "I'm sure the seventh years are having their own party."

Grace sighs. "My cousin will be, though. And you can bet anything that Matt will tell Tim."

"Well, we don't care about your cousin. There are reasons you need to wear this dress."

"Reasons?"

"Yes."

Grace sighs again. She hasn't seen Eva this excited about something in a while. "I don't own a red bra," she tries feebly. It's a weak argument and they both know that Eva has won.

"Luckily for you, I do," the taller girl smiles widely and drags her friend along the hallway to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room. "Cover your ears so she won't have a fit?" she asks as they approach the fat lady.

The brunette complies and soon enough they're standing in the room Eva shares with the five other Gryffindor girls from their year. Sarah is already bustling about laying out clothes on people's beds, while Caitlin collects makeup from the bathroom and sets up at a desk. Grace can tell they do this often, especially when Bethany Alas enters and starts a humongous pile of shoes in the middle of the room.

"Oh! Eva, are you wearing the red lace dress?" Esther Hillard's eyes are wide and gleaming. She looks impossibly excited. Grace looks to Eva, who shakes her head and holds out the dress that she must have gotten from her wardrobe while Grace was watching the others.

"I'm not," she grins, "but Grace is."

As one, the Gryffindor girls turn to her and Grace feels a little like a mouse staring at a snake. There is silence for a moment until Bethany proclaims, "Well, I know the perfect shoes for that dress. Do you have the same shoe size as Eva or do we need to make adjustments?" Grace shakes her head. She and Eva regularly share shoes, after all.

"Perfect," Bethany and Esther start going through the pile to find what Bethany is looking for.

Grace blinks slowly and Eva wraps an arm around her shoulders, laughing. "They're great at this, Gracie. You should put on that dress and then Rosa or I can do your hair."

Grace does as she is told and when Eva and Rosa are working away at her hair, whispering occasionally, she finds herself enjoying it enough to agree to let Caitlin apply a touch of mascara to her eyelashes and use a shade of lipstick that matches the dress.

When she is done, Caitlin leads her to a mirror, but Grace, not quite sure yet if she wants to look at herself, watches the others in the reflection. Eva is half dressed and painting Esther's nails a vivid shade of purple, while Bethany and Rosa discuss a pair of shoes to go with Rosa's pastel colored dress and Sarah is holding up two different necklaces, probably contemplating which one to wear. Caitlin, Grace sees, is dressed in dark green to accent her eyes and her hair is woven into a complicated set of braids she recognizes as Eva's handiwork.

"You know, I brought you here so you'd look at yourself, not at us," Caitlin sounds amused and Grace smiles half-heartedly. "Go on."

So Grace does. And can't help but smile for real. She looks like herself still, but somehow different. Her eyes seem larger and her mouth is a perfect bow. There are two strands of hair framing her face, but the rest is pulled away and pinned elegantly at the back of her head. And the dress… she has to admit that Eva was right and she does indeed look good in red.

"Well?" Caitlin grins.

"I feel… pretty," Grace laughs a little.

"You are pretty," Caitlin says simply, before turning Grace around to face the others. "Girls!" she calls. "What do you think?"

There are various exclamations of "Wonderful!" and "Gorgeous!" and "Stunning!", but after a moment they all turn to Eva.

"Perfect," Grace's best friend says. "We'll see some jaws drop today."

Grace rolls her eyes as the others laugh and looks at Rosa. "Do you need some help with your hair?"

The two of them sit on Rosa's bed and as Grace curls the dark hair she can't help but wonder if the red dress has significance she isn't aware of, because they all put a whole lot of effort into making sure she looks the way she does.

"Rosa?" she asks quietly.

"Yes?" Rosa is probably the quietest of the Gryffindor girls and Grace finds that, with the exception of Eva, she likes her the most.

"What's with the red dress?"

Rosa laughs softly. "The red dress," she says slowly, "is what Eva only ever gets out of the wardrobe when one of us wants to impress someone."

Grace frowns. "But I don't want to impress anyone," she protests, even as an image of blonde hair and grey eyes and a crooked smile flits across her mind.

"Well," Rosa turns slightly and smiles at Grace, "maybe Eva wants you to impress someone."

She resumes curling Rosa's hair in silence after that and tries to banish all thoughts of blonde boys with grey eyes and crooked smiles from her head, even if she knows it to be useless. He's always just at the edge of her consciousness.

She can't quite say how much time has passed when Eva stands up and looks around. "Alright girls, are we done?" It's a redundant question, they have been waiting on Caitlin and Eva to finish Eva's makeup, but no one seems to care as they give excited affirmations.

Grace smiles widely. Their excitement is contagious and she feels most definitely pretty tonight.

Eva beams and holds out her hand to Grace. "No piggyback rides today, I'm afraid."

The shorter girl laughs (she's the shortest here, too; she's always the shortest, but she kind of likes it) and takes her friend's hand. "I think I'll survive."

There is laughter all around the dorm and then the seven girls leave the room, taking their giddy smiles and excitement with them.

"We're meeting Lorcan and Lysander in the entrance hall," Eva says as they cross the common room and Grace nods, trying hard to hide the fact that she is suddenly acutely nervous. She sees Eva's small, hopeful smile and wonders for a moment what it means, but then her attention is drawn to Bethany who spins Esther around and asks them if they think Jason will be there.

The rest of their trip to the entrance hall is filled with a discussion on who will and who won't come and Grace listens as they debate whether Dominique will show or not for the better part of five minutes. Personally, she thinks she'll be there, but she doesn't offer her opinion and the others don't seem to mind that she stays quiet.

They reach the top of the staircase leading to the entrance hall and Grace spots Lorcan and Lysander only milliseconds before Eva says, "There they are." She silently consents to being pulled down the stairs and tries to figure out who they're standing with. Molly's red hair is unmistakable, and she thinks the blonde head next to hers is probably Meredith. On Meredith's other side she sees Quentin Dawson, who is talking to Jason, Noah and Lysander. Her attention is drawn to Lorcan without her consent when Molly touches his shoulder lightly and says something that makes him laugh. She squashes the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach mercilessly. She has no right to such feelings, after all.

Nevertheless, she is glad when they reach the bottom of the stairs and she can no longer see the group. Eva draws her closer to them, as always perfectly at home in a crowd and Grace squeezes her friend's hand just once. The answering smile calms her considerably and when Eva calls out to her brothers, Grace feels confident.

They turn, Molly's hand falls from Lorcan's shoulder and Meredith smiles at them. Noah wolf-whistles and gets a hit to the shoulder for his efforts from a laughing Eva. Lysander looks at Grace for a moment before he says, "You look lovely."

But it's not his words that make her blush, it's Lorcan's gaze so frighteningly intense once again coupled with that crooked smile that causes her heart to flutter. She drops her head and wishes for her usual curtain of hair to hide her flaming cheeks.

There are two fingers underneath her chin, making her lift her head, and she wants to think they're Lorcan's, but she knows he is too far away. Instead, when she complies and stops trying to hide, she finds herself looking at Lysander. "You shouldn't hide that pretty face," he smiles. It's a little lopsided, but it's not the crooked smile Lorcan always gives her, so she shrugs and tries to hide her disappointment instead of her face.

Grace turns to the others. Noah seems about to start wolf-whistling again, but Quentin elbows him and he stops. Jason smiles knowingly. Meredith glances at Molly, before offering Grace a smile. Eva looks caught off guard, her eyes flickering from Grace and Lysander to Lorcan and back constantly. Grace looks at Lorcan as well. His smile has turned tight and his posture is rigid. Molly's knuckles turn white where she is gripping his arm.

Lysander seems oblivious to all this. He drops his hand and offers his arm to Grace. "Shall we?" he looks at the others.

"Yes," it's Molly, who answers. She takes Lorcan by the arm and leaves for the Quidditch pitch without waiting for the others. Grace doesn't miss the glance she casts Lorcan's way or the small, consoling pat on his elbow. Before she can think about it too much, the rest of the group starts following and she finds herself drawn into Eva and Lysander's conversation about card tricks and wrackspurts.

When they reach the pitch, Eva is whisked away by James Potter, who demands "a dance with his favorite beater" and Lysander claims he is off to get drinks, but Grace is quite sure he's simply seen Carissa Smith over by the snack tables. She looks around for Lorcan, but before she sees him she is approached by a tall, blonde girl that looks vaguely familiar.

"Hi… Grace?" She nods, a little perplexed. "I'm Anwen Fawley, but just Ann is fine. I was wondering if you might have a moment to talk about Runes?"

"Sure," Grace says, because she always has time to talk about Runes and now that she's been deserted at a place she was never going to be comfortable at, she will welcome this familiar distraction with open arms.

Anwen smiles widely, and Grace thinks that she could like her. "I was hoping you would say that. I have a question and no one I asked could help me out so Rose asked her cousins and they said you might be able to help and then Helen pointed me your way as well and I figured I might as well try."

"You're one of Helen's friends?" Grace asks. It would explain why Anwen looks so familiar. She's seen most of her cousins' friends at some point, but she can't seem to keep them straight.

Anwen nods and then launches into an explanation of her question. It's delightfully complicated and as the two of them start their discussion they gravitate away from the main party and towards the bleachers armed with a quill and a few scraps of parchment.

Grace discovers a few more tidbits of information about Anwen over the course of their conversation. She's a Gryffindor and her best friend is named Elisabeth. Her twin Angus is a Ravenclaw, her brother Bran is a Hufflepuff in Ashlyn's year and the three youngest siblings have not yet started attending Hogwarts. Ann, as Grace has been repeatedly reminded to call her, has a tendency to go off on a tangent that has nothing to do with the subject at hand. She is younger than Grace by almost exactly a year, but taller and has a mind as sharp, if not sharper, than Grace's own. All in all, she makes for wonderful, intelligent conversation and an hour has passed before they emerge from their little bubble of runic arrangements and translations with a satisfactory solution.

"Thank you," Ann beams. "Now I'll be able to sleep again."

Grace laughs. "I'm glad I could help."

"I should go now, Ellie's getting impatient," she points to another blonde in a purple dress, who Grace thinks must be her best friend Elisabeth. "Maybe we'll see each other around." And then she disappears with a little wave and Grace is left alone again.

She scans the crowds for her friends, but she can't see them and she's actually rather comfortable up here in the bleachers. It's far less noisy that's for sure.

"I was wondering where you'd gotten off to, you know," says a voice and someone sits down next to her.

She smiles. "I've been up here," she tells him. "Talking about Runes."

"Who did you find that will talk to you about Runes for… how long?" She doesn't have to look at him to know he's smiling.

"An hour," her hands have ink stains on them now and the Gryffindor girls that poured so much effort into making sure she looked perfect would probably be appalled, but she feels a whole lot more like herself, "Her name is Anwen Fawley. A Gryffindor. Fourth year. She has a twin in Ravenclaw." She pauses. "I wonder why she isn't there with him. She's incredibly intelligent."

He chuckles. "You know there's more to houses than that. I mean, who would think Lysander was a Ravenclaw when first meeting him?"

She nods, but there's a kind of tense silence now that he's said his brother's name. It shouldn't be there, Lysander has always been overly affectionate bordering on flirtatious and they've all grown used to it, but something has changed. Grace supposes, it's the two of them, even if she can't quite say how they've changed.

"He was right," his voice breaks her out of her thoughts, "You do look lovely tonight."

She turns to him finally and smiles. "You look great, too." She reaches up to fix the collar of the blue button down he is wearing above a white t-shirt even though there's nothing to fix.

They sit in silence once again, but this time it's comfortable.

"Eva was looking for you the last time I saw her," he says after a while.

"Oh," she looks at the pitch. "I suppose we should go find her then…"

He nods, but neither of them moves to leave. Grace wonders if he wants to stay sitting here just as much as she does, but she doesn't dare ask. Instead, she gets up and offers him her hands. "Let's," she says softly.

He takes her hands and rises as well. "That way," he nods in the direction of the stairs. They let go of each other's hands, but as they walk he puts an arm around her shoulders.

In the privacy of her own mind, Grace allows herself to admit that she is happier than she's been all night.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review!  
**


	15. Thursday, June 16th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR.**

 **Author's Note:** I think it's safe to say to the very regular, every other day schedule I has established is not something I'll be able to stick to now that I'm super busy again. BUT I'll do my very best to figure out a new schedule for regular updates. Perhaps Wednesday, Friday and then Sunday or Monday... I'm not sure yet on that one, so I'll let you know when I've decided. Now, I should be getting back to my Easter baking. Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate! To those who don't, have a wonderful regular weekend! Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen**

 **Thursday, June 16th 2022**

 **Black Lake, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace leaves the castle and crosses the grounds slowly, but with a definite goal in mind. She is headed for the lake, the little note in Lorcan's handwriting carefully folded in her pocket. She had been surprised to find it in her hand after charms, but not unpleasantly so. And as the day grew older she has found herself getting more and more impatient. Grace knows herself to be a curious person, but most of the time not an impatient one. But, she reasons, this is not most of the time.

She doesn't see him at first, when she reaches the lake. Perhaps, she is too enamored with the way the golden light of the sun filters through the trees and paints spots of green and gold onto the ground. Perhaps, she was simply not looking closely enough. But when she hears his voice behind her, she jumps in surprise.

"Good evening," he says and she turns around fast enough to make her skirt sway around her legs.

She smiles widely. "Good evening." He is leaning against a tree, dressed in a blue shirt that makes his eyes look like storm clouds. There is something in them that she can't quite place, but then he gives her that crooked smile and he looks just like he always does, so she puts it aside.

"You know," he pushes off the tree and walks towards her, "it occurred to me that I didn't get a chance to dance with you last week."

"I didn't dance with anyone," she says softly, looking up at him.

His smile widens slightly. "All the more reason to rectify that." He holds out a hand to her. "Will you dance with me, Gracie?"

She puts her hand in his in a very slow, very deliberate movement, wondering what he thinks of the ink stains on her fingers. "I would love to," she says.

He draws her closer to him and she lets him, comes willingly even. "How do you feel about a waltz?"

"With or without music?" she looks up at him, her eyes sparkling amusedly.

"With music," he chuckles quietly.

"What did you have in mind?"

He smiles at her. "Kans… Kunstlerleben," he frowns at himself. "Sorry, I tried. Artist's Life by Johann Strauss Jr."

She touches his cheek lightly. "That sounded pretty good, actually."

Lorcan smiles disbelievingly and takes a step back to draw his wand. He waves it once. The opening bars of Artist's Life sound around them. "Milady," he bows to her.

Grace laughs delightedly and curtsies. She never had dancing lessons as a child, but Eva, Lorcan and Lysander have taught her quite a lot over the course of almost five years now. "Milord," she replies.

The kiss he places on the back of her hand is feather light, but the butterflies in her stomach really don't care about that as he draws her close once again and they begin to waltz in the light of the setting sun.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review!

(Also I'm sorry if I haven't gotten back to you yet! I will, I promise. I just need to find a point in time where I have more than a moment on here)


	16. Thursday, June 23rd 2022

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's Note:** I've decided that I will try out the new schedule I mentioned in the last Author's Note, to see if that's something I'll be able to stick to. Which means you can expect the next chapter on Wednesday! For now, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 **Thursday, June 23rd 2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace draws her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them. "Tell me about your holiday plans again?"

He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and smiles half-heartedly. "We're going to France on the first," he says. "The day after we get back from Hogwarts. Dad wants to show us this house in the country side, where he used to go as a child, and there are a couple of Clabbert trees and a herd of mooncalves that Mum wants to go see near there, and also this town called Chambord. We're going to the Cote d'Azur the second week, but don't ask me where exactly," he glances at her, "Evie still bemoans the fact that you can't go shopping with her."

Grace laughs a little, "She'll survive."

"Yeah, but I won't," he says. "Because you know she'll drag me along."

"That she will," she touches his shoulder. "But you'll be okay."

She can feel him lean into her touch as he continues with a soft smile, "The third week, we're going to see… Lyon and Mont Saint-Michel, I think."

He puts an arm around her shoulders and draws her close. "And then Paris," he says.

"And then Paris," she repeats with a smile. "Do you suppose we could go see Versailles?"

"Sure," she can feel him nod. "If the others don't want to we'll go just the two of us."

She leans against him. "Sounds good."

There is a lull in their conversation then, a comfortable kind of silence, and Grace closes her eyes. She won't see her three best friends for the first three weeks of their summer break. Granted, for two of those weeks she will be in Italy with her family, but she still doesn't like the prospect of not seeing them (him).

"Your Dad really won't come to Paris?" he asks.

"No, he has to work," she tells him, "but he'll come on the weekends and he might even bring Granny."

"That'd be nice," he says. He likes Granny, just as Granny likes him. When Eva, Lorcan and Lysander first came to visit Grace roughly four years ago, the old woman had instantly taking a liking to the middle triplet and he has stayed her declared favorite since then. Eva and Lysander don't really mind as far as Grace is aware, and Lorcan sometimes comes over just to sit with Granny.

"Maybe Mrs Narcissa could come, too," she suggests. She has never stopped using the strange cross between Mrs Malfoy and the woman's first name even when her friends have taken to calling Grace's grandmother Granny.

He laughs, "I'm still not sure how she lets you call her that."

Grace shrugs with a smile, glad that she has broken him out of his somber mood. "Do you think she would?"

"Perhaps," he says, "I'll write her."

"Do," Grace replies softly and she can once again feel him nod as he squeezes her shoulders slightly.

They haven't managed to hide that they will miss each other, Grace thinks, but they're certainly very good at not acknowledging it.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day and if you can, please leave a review (or drop a PM in my inbox if you'd rather do that :))!


	17. Thursday, June 30th 2022

**Disclaimer: Anything your recognize from the Harry Potter works is not mine.**

 **Author's Note:** Here we are, Chapter 16! And while I saw snow when I looked outside during my seminar today, it's time for summer holidays in the story! Warm thoughts to all of you!

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen**

 **Thursday, June 30th 2022**

 **Platform 9 ¾, King's Cross Station, London, England**

The crowd around them is thick and fills the air with a thousand excited shouts as people find their families. Grace feels some of that excitement herself, she's missed her parents and her grandmother, but she also knows that she will miss her friends just as much, so her excitement is somewhat tempered.

Still, when she spots her mother through a gap in the crowd, she smiles. "I can see my mum," she tells Eva, who is holding her hand.

"Where?" Lysander asks. He and Lorcan are walking ahead of them and Grace nods in the direction where she saw her mother.

"Somewhere over there," she says and before anyone can say anything else Lorcan has turned and started heading in that direction. She watches him quietly as she lets Eva pull her along after him. His mood has been a little gloomy all day and she's invested more energy than she cares to admit in trying to make him smile. If Eva and Lysander have noticed, they haven't mentioned it.

"Grace!" someone calls suddenly and she finds herself stumbling against Eva as her sister careens into her side. Ashlyn is followed by a blonde blur that latches on to Lorcan and, once moving more slowly, is easily identifiable as Leigh. Following the two girls at a more sedate pace and with the long suffering expression of older siblings everywhere on his face is Scorpius. Albus Potter is as faithfully beside him as always.

"It's not as if they didn't see you yesterday," Scorpius drawls and Grace finds herself smiling faintly even as Lorcan shoots his younger brother a glare.

"Leave them be," he hisses, before turning to Leigh to listen to what she has to tell him.

"Merlin's beard what crawled up his arse?" Scorpius says under his breath only to be promptly admonished by Albus.

When Georgiana Pemberton floats onto the scene and laughingly demands to know if Scorpius is being snarky again, Grace returns her attention to finding her parents. They're still moving in what she thinks must be the right direction but the larger their group gets the more sluggish their pace becomes as they try to push through the masses. Lorcan is still in the lead, now with Leigh by his side and Lysander has dropped back to walk with Eva, Ashlyn and Grace herself. Scorpius, Albus and Georgiana bring up the rear.

It seems to take ages until they have finally made it to where Grace's parents are talking to the Malfoys and then it takes no time at all for Grace to be swept up in her mother's arms. Ashlyn is pulled from her side, presumably by their father, but Grace is too busy hugging her mother to care.

"I missed you, Mum," she says softly.

"I missed you too, darling."

Mothers, Grace thinks, are a wonderful kind of people, because in the arms of her mother she will always be at home.

And then Ashlyn takes her place and Grace is hugging her father, and Timothy shows up and Grace loses track of who she is hugging and whether she is telling them _hello_ and _I missed you_ or _goodbye_ and _have a wonderful summer_ until she finds herself standing beside Luna, who takes her hand with one of those slightly absent smiles and focuses incredibly piercing eyes on her. "It's lovely to see you, dear."

Grace returns the smile with one of her own. "You too," she says.

Luna Malfoy has been one of her favorite people since the day she first met her. She has never been anything but warm and welcoming, even if her choice of jewelry and some of the things she likes to talk about take some getting used. Grace loves that she walks barefoot almost everywhere and that she paints the unlikeliest things, Grace adores the Malfoy's grand piano for more reasons than the fact that it has an absolutely gorgeous sound, after all.

"I'm afraid we have to be going quite quickly, Grace," says a voice from beside them and Grace turns to look at Luna's husband. Draco Malfoy is rather more distanced than his wife, not as open with his affection and certainly not the person she would expect to marry Luna, but somehow every time she sees them look at each other she is reminded how silly her expectations are.

She nods in reply to his words and turns to the couple's children. Eva is currently hugging Ashlyn goodbye, Lorcan and Lysander are talking to Timothy and Scorpius is being squished by Georgiana while Albus looks on in amusement, several of his cousins standing at his shoulder (and when _they_ got here, Grace has no idea), so she turns to Leigh, who is already looking at her expectantly. Grace opens her arms and Leigh rushes forward to hug her.

"Make sure they all enjoy themselves. Will you, Leigh?" she asks the only one of the Malfoy siblings that is still shorter than she is.

"Promise," Leigh smiles brightly and then she goes to say goodbye to someone else without another word.

Grace watches her demand a hug from Albus' sister Lily for a moment before tapping Georgiana on the shoulder. "Do you suppose I could have a turn?" The younger girl laughs and releases a decidedly ruffled-looking Scorpius from her grasp. She shoves him into Grace's waiting arms without so much as a word and embraces Albus much more gently.

"Just please try to let me breath, yes? I could see my life passing before my eyes there," Scorpius laments dryly, looking down at her.

Grace laughs, because they both know very well that her way-too-tight hugs are reserved for his older siblings, and wraps her arms around him lightly for a moment before letting go and taking a step back. "I'll see you around," she says.

"If I survived Georgie's goodbye," he grins. "You should go hug my sister now, she's getting impatient."

And sure enough, Eva is standing behind her, arms crossed and tapping her foot impatiently. But she is smiling widely and only moments later she holds out both arms in Grace's direction. Grace lets herself fall into them and the hug really is way-too-tight, but it's not like she cares.

"I'll miss you," Grace says almost at the same time as Eva and they both laugh a little at that. "You're going to have a great time," she adds. "Don't take the boys shopping too many times."

Eva pulls away a little. "Oh, but so are you. Italy sounds great." Grace thinks she looks faintly disappointed, but at what she isn't quite sure so she just smiles.

"And we'll see each other soon."

The smile on Eva's face is absolutely radiant at that. "We will."

And then Grace leans against her friend again and she feels her arms tighten around her just as she tightens her grip on her friend. "I really will miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Gracie."

"Me three," says Lysander next to them, before plucking Grace out of Eva's arms and spinning her around in a circle several times.

She's a little dizzy when he puts her feet back on the ground, but she is smiling. Lysander laughs and wraps a strand of her hair around his finger. When she raises an eyebrow at him, he just laughs louder.

Grace rolls her eyes and turns to Eva. "Where's Lorcan?"

"He took his gloomy little self over there," the blonde replies, pointing to where her brother is standing.

Grace nods and smiles at her friends. "You two have a great vacation, alright?" She hugs Eva again and looks at Lysander. "I'd like my hair back now."

"But it's so soft," he grins at her. She rolls her eyes again, but she can't help her fond smile.

"I'd still like it back."

"Fine," Lysander sighs dramatically and he lets go. "Come on, Eva, we should save Molly from our other brother."

The two of them turn and take the few steps toward Molly, but Grace pays them no mind. Lorcan is standing a little ways away from everyone else and Eva is right, he does look rather gloomy. His shoulders are slumped and he is looking at the ground. This, Grace thinks, is Lorcan when he doesn't want to be noticed. She walks over to him and takes one of his hands in both of hers'.

"Are you okay? What happened?" she asks quietly.

"It's fine," he shakes his head. "Just some stupid rumors, that's all." His smile isn't quite convincing and she's sure her own isn't either, but she tries anyway.

They stand together in silence for a little, until she asks. "Do you suppose I could get a goodbye?"

"No," he tells her softly. And then, before she can so much as wonder why, she finds herself in his arms, her feet lifted off the ground again. She wraps her arms around his neck and smiles.

"And why is that?" she asks.

"Goodbye sounds so final," he says simply. Her smile widens just a little.

"In that case… see you in Paris," she replies.

"See you in Paris," he puts her back on her feet gently.

She looks up at him and touches his cheek. "I'll miss you, Lorcan."

His smile seems a lot more real this time, even if it's somewhat sad. "And I you, Gracie. And I you." He brushes a strand of hair out of her face. "I should go now."

She nods. "Paris."

"Paris."

She watches him walk toward his parents, sees them call for his siblings and sees them all take hold of each other. And then the entire family vanishes with a pop that is too quiet to be heard from where she stands.

Grace turns and goes to find her own family. Just before they, too, disapparate, she whispers "Paris," once again.

* * *

And that was chapter sixteen! Please leave a review! Especially if you're curious about something/someone or have a question, I'm happy to discuss just about everything with you :) let me know, what you think :)

A wonderful day to all of you!


	18. Thursday, July 7th 2022

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's Note:** Summer is here in the story at least, but the English summer I wrote looks more like the weather outside my window... Enjoy! (Also I spent ages finding the right font for Lorcan's handwriting and as of now it's still there, but we'll see what FF does to that...)

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen**

 **Thursday, July 7th 2022**

 **Kendall Home, Barnton, Cheshire, England**

Grace clutches her cup of tea and looks out the window. Her summer has been rather rainy so far and she finds herself looking forward to the two weeks they will be spending in Italy. She loves getting to spend this time with her cousins each year.

They don't see each other a lot during the school year even though most of them are attending Hogwarts. Six of her eight cousins were swirling around the school last year, but because of their widely differing schedules and the fact that they are spread out across all four houses (admittedly rather favoring Gryffindor, only her sister Ashlyn wears green and silver), it is not unusual for Grace to go a week without seeing some of them. She sees Matthew often, because he is in her year, and David frequently, because he got sorted into Ravenclaw nigh on two years ago now, but the others she generally sees only when either they seek her out or she goes looking for them.

Grace wonders sometimes whether she doesn't miss them as much as she misses her friends because she never got used to seeing them every day. It's certainly not because she doesn't love them.

"What has you looking so thoughtful, birdie?"

Grace turns from the window to look at her grandmother. Granny is sitting in her favorite rocking chair that Mum claims is only held together by magic these days. She is holding her own cup of tea and smiling in a way that makes Grace feel like Granny understands her better than she understands herself.

"Nothing important." Grace takes a sip of her tea and glances at the window again.

"You've been looking out windows an awful lot today," Granny comments with a smile. Grace shrugs. She knows she has, but she doesn't quite feel like sharing. "Whose owl are you waiting for?" And there it is again. She should call it Granny's I-am-old-and-wise-and-know-more-than-you smile. Grace just hopes she isn't blushing as she hides behind her tea.

"It doesn't matter," she says, even as she catches herself turning to the window again. It's Thursday, that's all.

She can tell that Granny is studying her closely, can feel the eyes on her, but she just stares into her tea.

It's Thursday, and there are a million unfinished letters sitting on her desk.

"I wish you would talk to me, sweetheart," Granny says in that way of hers that makes Grace want to spill her innermost secrets. But she doesn't. She isn't even sure what her secret is. She isn't sure why she is moping around and staring out windows. She is just sure that it's Thursday.

It's Thursday, and there are a million unfinished letters on her desk, but she just doesn't know what to say.

They sit together in silence after that, each woman sipping her tea, and Grace finds her thoughts wandering, drawing ever closer to the one topic she's tried to avoid all day. Lorcan. She finds herself thinking about him a great deal these days. And she wonders what it means. She also wonders if she wants to know, she wonders if it mightn't be easier not to know. What she does know is that she's been moody and not at all looking forward to the evening. She isn't used to spending Thursday evenings on her own anymore.

It's Thursday, and there are a million unfinished letters on her desk, but she just doesn't know what to say apart from I miss you and it's raining here.

Granny's voice once again draws her out of her thoughts. "Isn't that Eva's owl?"

Grace looks up and turns to the window. "It's their family owl, actually," she tells Granny. And her heart is absolutely not beating faster than it should when she opens the window.

It's Thursday, and there are a million unfinished letters on her desk, but she just doesn't know what to say apart from I miss you and it's raining here and I can't wait for Paris.

The owl glides through the open window and circles the room once before landing in front of Grace and presenting a letter to her. She unties it carefully and tells herself that her fingers are not shaking, because why would they? And then she turns the letter over in her hands so she can see who it's addressed to.

Grace, it says on the front of the envelope. And she knows that handwriting.

It's Thursday, and there are a million unfinished letters on her desk, but she just doesn't know what to say apart from I miss you and it's raining here and I can't wait for Paris. But maybe she doesn't have to know.

She looks up and finds Granny studying her intently once again. "I know that look, birdie. You and your mother are enough alike for me to recognize it." She pauses and Grace feels that even when she hasn't told Granny her innermost secrets, the woman knows Grace's heart better than she herself does. "I'm glad you're happy," her grandmother tells her. And then, when Grace glances at the door, she smiles and adds, "Go ahead."

And Grace leaves, the letter pressed to her chest.

It's Thursday, and there are a million unfinished letters on her desk, but she just doesn't know what to say apart from I miss you and it's raining here and I can't wait for Paris. But maybe she doesn't have to know. Because he does.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review :) Next update should be Sunday or Monday :)


	19. Thursday, July 14th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR.**

 **Author's Note: Since I am so tired that I can barely type I will leave you with this: Next chapter on Wednesday. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen**

 **Thursday, July 14** **th** **2022**

 **Corigliano d'Otranto, Puglia, Italy**

Grace withdraws into the room she shares with Helen and Ashlyn just after dinner. She doesn't feel like making conversation, so she pleads a headache and holes up in the room. The others let her, even if Helen casts a curious glance her way, and Grace sits on her bed with a book, waiting for another letter to keep with that first one.

She doesn't have to wait long until an owl is tapping against the window to be let in. She opens and the bird hops inside. It sits on the back of a chair, staring at her imperiously and she smiles slightly as she unties the letter from its leg (and her fingers are not shaking, not at all). She opens the envelope and unfolds the piece of parchment inside.

 _Grace,_

 _I am well, thank you for asking. So is everyone else. I'm just afraid my feet might fall off, because Eva seems to think we're all as invincible as she is when it comes to shopping trips. Other than that, I really am fine, though. What about you?_

 _And how is Italy? I've always wanted to go, but for some reason we never have. Dad seems to believe France is more sophisticated or some such… I have to admit that it is gorgeous. You should see the water here! The Côte d'Azur is doing its name justice, that's for sure. And I do enjoy seeing the towns and cities when Evie is not dragging us from one shop to the next. You have to promise me to go shopping with her in Paris, I'm afraid of what she will do if you don't._

 _Speaking of Paris, there's this museum I read about, the Musée Carnavalet. It's a history museum and I'd really like to go see it. Would you come?_

 _Lysander keeps talking about night clubs and how he looked up the laws and it's apparently perfectly legal for all of us to go to one. I'd rather not actually, but he doesn't really care. Scorpius is pouting because he's too young, but Eva is almost as excited about the idea as she is about shopping with you in Paris. I figure, you deserve a warning, so… you've been warned._

 _We all agree that we should have dinner at one of those pavement café's, though. I kind of like the idea that we could go just the four of us. What do you think? Either way it'd be easier to find a table for four instead of a table for eleven (or even thirteen if we go on a weekend and your Dad brings Granny), wouldn't you say?_

 _I just re-read this letter and I realized I didn't thank you for writing me. Your letter made me smile. Thank you for that._

 _I miss you, Gracie. Paris can't come soon enough where I'm concerned._

 _See you there,_

 _Lorcan_

Grace smiles and re-reads the letter twice before walking over to the small table and finding a quill and a pot of ink.

 _Lorcan,_

 _First things first, I'd love to go to the Musée Carnavalet with you. You're going to Versaille with me, after all._

 _I'm fine. Italy is fine, too. I love it, actually. It's absolutely stunning, and the people here are lovely. There is this wonderful old lady who hangs around the hotel, I think she's probably the oldest person I ever met. She told me it was hers originally. It's her granddaughter's now, but she still comes every day and helps out where they let her. She laughed when she told me that. She laughs a lot. And she smiles just like Granny. That one smile that says, "I am old and wise and know more than you." You know the one, I'm sure._

 _France sounds wonderful, too. I can't wait for Paris! Are you taking pictures? I want to see everything! And of course, I'll go shopping with Evie. I'm not so fond of the nightclub idea, though. Do you think we could get out of that one?_

 _Also, you have to sign me up for dinner in Paris with just the four of us. We need to do that! Are the pavement café's as adorable as I imagine them?_

 _I miss you, too. But it's only two more weeks until Paris. That's less than last week at least._

 _And don't thank me for making you smile. It's something I do because I like it when you smile, so you see, it's rather entirely selfish. No need to thank me._

 _See you in Paris,_

 _Grace_

 _PS: Your letter made me smile, too._

She sends the letter off with the owl that gives her another imperious look before it takes off into the darkening sky.

When Helen and Ashlyn join her some time later, she is still smiling.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading :) Review?**


	20. Thursday, July 21st 2022

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's Note:** A short chapter today, lovelies. Which feels kind of fitting because I am so busy that I tried to figure out the other day how much time I have until I start running out of chapters. (The answer is not for a while, in case anyone cares). I am so sorry if I haven't replied to you yet! I'll try to squeeze in some time for that between Uni and piano today or tomorrow! Lots of love! And now enjoy chapter nineteen

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen**

 **Thursday, July 21** **st** **2022**

 **Lecce, Puglia, Italy**

"You know, Matt, this really isn't what I thought about when you started talking about a nice adult-free seaside picnic," Helen complains as she swats at a veritable cloud of mosquitos with her flip flop and Grace finds herself agreeing. Her pizza lies abandoned next to her as she tries to defend herself from the blood-thirsty beasts that surround them.

Someone slaps her shoulder, and she whirls around to come face to face with Piper. "Pipes!"

"Sorry, Gracie," her cousin holds out her hand to show her the misshapen mess that was once a mosquito, "it was sitting on your shoulder."

"Thanks," Grace smiles at her, even though her shoulder is stinging where Piper hit it.

"We should get out of here," Michael says decisively, trying to duck out of the path of another approaching swarm.

"Yes, please!" Ashlyn grabs a few pizza cartons and hands them to Hazel, before picking up two more. "Come on."

Grace takes her own pizza and holds out a hand to Susan. The youngest of the cousins takes it without hesitation even though she generally likes to insist that she doesn't need someone to hold her hand. They follow Ashlyn as Grace's younger sister leads the way back into the town. After a while, Piper catches up to them.

"Were you planning on leaving this to be eaten up by mosquitos?" she asks, and holds up Grace's bag.

"Oh…" Grace smiles sheepishly. "Thanks again, Pipes."

"No problem," Piper smiles back. "Who's that letter from?"

Grace lets go off Susan's hand briefly to take the bag and hang it over her shoulder. "A friend," she says, as she pretends not to notice that Susan slips her hand back in hers.

Helen snorts. "Don't believe a word she says, Pip. Gracie here has herself a secret admirer."

"No, I don't," Grace protests. "He's…" she trails off because she's suddenly not sure what he is, "not my admirer," she finishes finally.

Helen shakes her head. "Keep telling yourself that." And then she pulls Piper ahead to walk with Ashlyn and David.

Grace watches them and finds herself wondering why she still can't seem to put in words what Lorcan is.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review!


	21. Thursday, July 28th 2022

**Disclaimer: Anything you recogniize from Harry Potter or its related works is not mine.**

 **Author's Note:** I'll say this now: I have never in my life been to Paris. I've been to France, but that was a youth group kind of thing and didn't really involve much in the way of restaurants or cultural experience (some rock climbing though, and caves). As such, I consulted google. And recipes in English, which is why I apologize for any butchering of the French language (I'm talking about the beef here. Really, I'm sorry.). I think that's it. I should say though that my weekend is going to be very busy and I can't say if I'll manage to update Sunday or Monday. I might be able to do another of those Sunday-night-falling-asleep-while-typing updates. We'll see. I might update Sunday morning even, but I just thought I'd warn you. So... you've been warned :) Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty**

 **Thursday, July 28th 2022**

 **Paris, France**

"That looks good," Eva leans across the table to taste Lysander's beef bourguignon. He swats at her hand, but that doesn't stop her and Grace giggles quietly when he picks up his fork and the two of them start to have a fork fight.

Across from her, Lorcan groans quietly. "I don't know them. Really, I don't. They just happen to look like me," he mumbles and Grace turns to him grinning.

"You have to admit they're amusing," she says.

"They're embarrassing, that's what they are," Lorcan buries his face in his hands. "We could go sit somewhere else?"

He looks hopeful as he peeks at her through his fingers and she is entirely too tempted to say yes, but before she can so much as open her mouth, Eva has grabbed her arm and Lysander has turned his fork on his brother. "You are attempting to take the lady away from us, you fiend!" he proclaims dramatically and Lorcan groans even louder than before as he puts his head on the table. "I demand a duel!" Lysander pokes Lorcan's shoulder with his fork.

"Lysander," the younger of the brothers says slowly, "are you drunk?"

"They've been like this for at least three weeks," Eva whispers into Grace's ear suddenly.

"Really?" Grace turns to her best friend.

Eva nods. "It's almost as if they're fighting, but not quite. It's so weird. Like… so weird."

"Do you think they might be upset with each other?"

Eva shrugs. "I wouldn't know why."

Grace bites her lip thoughtfully and turns back around to watch the brothers squabble. She leans against Eva's shoulder. "So this has been going since school ended?" The blonde girl hums an affirmative and rests her head on top of Grace's. "Have they had an actual fight or just this… thing?"

"Just stuff like this," Eva says softly.

Their hushed conversation is interrupted by Lysander. "What are you two whispering about?"

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with," Eva's retort is instant. "Also, your food really is good." Lysander rolls his eyes in reply and mutters something that Grace can't quite hear as she offers a rather unhappy looking Lorcan a smile. He returns it with a crooked smile of his own and Grace stubbornly ignores the butterflies in her stomach as she turns her attention to her own food.

The rest of their dinner is a far more quiet and far more peaceful affair and when the time comes to leave, long after the sun has set, Lorcan insists on paying with a genuine smile on his face. They let him, because they all know that Lorcan can out-stubborn all of them when he feels like it, and the four of them make their way back to the hotel in companionable silence. Grace's arm is linked with Eva's as they follow the boys down the cobbled road and Grace rather thinks that this is a moment to treasure.

* * *

Thank you for readiing! I hope your day is going well :) if you have the time, please let me know what you think (via review or PM, whichever) :)


	22. Thursday, August 4th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR.**

 **Author's Note:** Since I'm home a whole lot earlier than expected, I'm not falling asleep while I post this week. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One**

 **Thursday, August 4th 2022**

 **Paris, France**

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Grace turns around to face Eva and smiles at her. "I'm very sure. But you guys have fun, alright?"

Eva nods. "Here's to hoping a night out will do Lysander some good and they'll be okay after."

Grace looks at her speculatively for a moment, before she says, "I don't think it's Lysander." Eva raises an eyebrow at her and Grace gets it, because most of the time Lysander is the source of his and Lorcan's disagreements, but Lorcan has been acting oddly all week and not just when it came to Lysander. "But who knows… I might be wrong."

There is a pause as both girls lose themselves in thought. It's Eva who breaks the silence. "Gracie?" she doesn't wait for Grace to reply, just looks at her to make sure she has her attention before she continues, "you know… what we talked about the other day… are you sure you won't tell me his name?"

Grace sighs quietly, "I told you, Evie… I want to be sure I'm not imagining this. It might be nothing after all."

"Alright." Eva crosses the room and kisses her cheek. "See you tomorrow, Gracie."

"Don't let Tim get you drunk!" Grace calls after her friend as she leaves the room. Eva's laugh echoes through the hallway and Grace returns to her book with a smile until there's someone else standing in the door.

"Hello," his voice is soft and it does things to her that she really doesn't want to acknowledge, because she has no idea where that would lead. She turns around and when she sees his smile (the crooked one she so adores), she knows that she lied to Eva. It's not nothing. Not for her.

"Hey," she smiles and closes her book. "I heard that you didn't want to go to a nightclub."

He laughs and sits at the edge of her bed. "Well, I can clearly say the same about you." She nods in acknowledgement of his point and he continues. "Scorpius has declared us both mad, you know, but he's too young to go."

"He would have enjoyed that, wouldn't he?"

"He would have," Lorcan smiles at her, "But I would much rather be having a picnic."

"A picnic?" Grace laughs lightly. "Where?"

"Up on the rooftop," he gets up and holds out a hand to her. "You coming?"

She takes his hand and tells her heart to stop beating so fast because he surely doesn't mean anything by it. They're friends, just friends. But it's so easy to forget about that as he takes her up to the rooftop and they spend the night in a veritable nest of blankets and pillows, talking and eating and laughing until the sun rises above Paris.

* * *

Please let me know what you think! And thank you for reading!


	23. Thursday, August 11th 2022

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Harry Potter and its related works is not mine.**

 **Author's Note:** So I don't know about you guys, but I love Granny... enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Two**

 **Thursday, August 11th 2022**

 **Kendall Home, Barnton, Cheshire, England**

Grace stands next to her mother in the kitchen, putting together her father's favorite potato salad and simultaneously keeping an eye on the bread that is baking in the oven. Ashlyn picks up another bowl of salad from the counter and carries it outside.

"Ashlyn, darling, get your brother in here so he can slice up the watermelon," Granny tells her from where she is preparing potato wedges at the table.

"Will do, Gran," Ashlyn steps over Grace's cat Pearl on her way out of the kitchen, who just loves to be in the way when everyone is busy preparing for something. Today, something is a birthday barbeque for Grace's father.

The rest of the family will be arriving in about half an hour bearing more food, no doubt, and Grace finds herself looking forward to it, partially because it will help her ignore that it is once again Thursday. She shakes her head to get rid of that thought and returns her attention to finishing the potato salad.

Mum is arranging little glasses of dessert on a tray. "I'll just be putting this in the basement for later," she says just as Grace pushes the bowl of potato salad aside and true to her word takes the tray and leaves the room.

"Give me a hand over here. Will you, little bird?"

Grace smiles softly and walks toward the table. "What do you need, Granny?" she asks.

The old woman looks up at her from her seat. "I need you to smile a little more. A blind man could see that something's bothering you. So what is it?"

"Nothing, I…" Grace shrugs a little, "I'm just in a strange mood, that's all."

Granny looks at her for a long moment, before inclining her head, which Grace takes as a sign that she's free to continue with the preparations, so she starts washing tomatoes.

Twenty minutes later (just before Grace is done with the tomato salad) the doorbell rings. Her mother hurriedly wipes her hands and heads for the door. Throughout the house Grace can hear the others do the same, as she puts the finishing touches on the salad and Granny gets up and leaves the kitchen. She stops on the threshold though and Grace turns to her expectantly. "Birdie, that mood of yours… it's a window glancing mood." It's not a question. For a moment, she wonders how Granny came to that conclusion but then Hazel rushes into the kitchen as Susan latches on to Granny and she puts it out of her mind to answer Hazel's string of questions about electives that she'll be choosing in nine months at the earliest.

She takes the salad outside, still accompanied by Hazel's chatter and very purposefully loses herself to the good mood that pervades the air here as Hazel once again dashes off to "tell Uncle Derek Happy Birthday real quick". She thinks she's rather successful at smiling and laughing and listening and if she only glances at the sky once she's made sure Granny isn't watching her then that's her business and no one else's.

That is, of course, until the large grey owl appears in the sky and it is Helen of all people who notices it. "Is that another letter from your admirer, Gracie?" she asks laughingly.

Before Grace can reply, Ashlyn rolls her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Helen, that's Eva's owl." Grace catches Granny's eye across the table, but neither of them corrects Ashlyn as the owl soars over the table and lands on the back of Grace's chair. She unties the letter from the owl's leg and leans back in her chair as she unfolds the parchment. There are several sheets, one filled with Eva's tiny scribbles, another covered in Luna's loopy cursive and a third, more a note than a letter, really, in Lorcan's neat handwriting, as well as a card.

"The Malfoys send their congratulations and their best wishes, Dad," she says, looking up from Luna's letter. "And a card." She holds it out to him across the table. The rest, the offer for her to stay at Malfoy Manor for a week starting next Friday and the invitation to Luna's annual picnic, she leaves for later.

Helen hangs over her shoulder as she reads Eva's letter, but doesn't discover the note and Grace doesn't point it out to her. Instead she carefully refolds the parchment and waits until everyone has gone home and she is alone in her room to take out the note. It's short, nothing special, but it makes her smile nonetheless.

 _I hope you're having a wonderful evening, Gracie._

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review? Tell me what you think of Grace's family! Do you have a favorite cousin? And what about Granny?

Next chapter on Friday. Lots of love!


	24. Thursday, August 18th 2022

**Disclaimer: Not JKR.**

 **Author's Note:** Here's chapter 23 for you :)

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Three**

 **Thursday, August 18th 2022**

 **Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England**

Grace steps out of the fireplace, her bag slung over her shoulder and looks around. Malfoy Manor is just as quiet as home, but here at least that doesn't mean that everyone is out. It just means that the house is humongous.

The door to the room opens and Luna enters. "I thought I heard the floo alarm go off," she says with a smile. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow, dear."

Grace smiles slightly. "I was feeling lonely all by myself at home," she admits.

Luna takes her hand. "Not to worry, darling, you know you're always welcome." She pauses, "But I'm afraid most of the family is out and about."

"Really? Where are they?" Grace asks as Luna leads her out of the room, her bare feet moving across the floors noiselessly.

"Draco is at a business dinner of some sort, terribly boring, I'm sure and Leigh is at the Parkinsons', they're having a sleepover. But you probably knew that, because as far as I know your sister is there as well." Grace nods, even if she isn't sure whether Luna can see her or not as they make their way up the stairs to the first floor and start walking towards the door to the family wing. "And Eva, Lysander and Scorpius are at the Potters', something about a party," Luna laughs and Grace smiles as they push open the door together. "Lorcan resisted their pleading though. He's in his room."

Grace can feel her smile widen a little. "There are more people here than at home still."

Luna laughs lightly. "I suppose. I'll be making up a bed for you in Eva's room, so you can give me your bag if you want."

"Thank you," Grace says and hands over her bag. She watches Luna walk down the hall and waits until she's turned the corner before she approaches the door to Lorcan's room and knocks lightly.

"It's open," Lorcan's voice calls through the door, and Grace opens it slightly and slips through the crack. Lorcan is lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling, wearing sweatpants and no shirt. "But if you've come back to…" he trails off, staring at her.

Grace swallows nervously. She had not expected him to be only half dressed, but she can't seem to tear her eyes away from him either. "Hi," she says, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Gracie," his voice sounds strange and he clears his throat. "I'll… umm… hang on." He leans over the side of his bed and fishes around for a shirt. When he finally has one, he puts it on hurriedly.

Grace swallows, she is sure her cheeks are scarlet, but he's blushing too, which eases her mind at least a little.

"Hey," he rubs the back of his neck, "Sorry, I thought you were mum or Evie, trying to get me to go to that party again."

She smiles at him and walks closer. "Luna says they've left. I don't know when though."

"Can't have been too long ago," he smiles back at her. "Sit?"

"Thank you," she sits on his bed and leans against the headboard. "Were they trying to get you to come with them?"

"Yeah," he nods, "but now I'm glad I didn't. I would have missed you. How come you're here a day early?"

"I was home by myself and… kind of lonely," she tells him.

"In that case," he gives her that crooked smile, "I'm even more glad I stayed here."

Grace just smiles and tries to ignore the butterflies in her stomach that seem to get worse every time. Friends, she tells herself. Don't ruin this over some stupid butterflies that don't know how to stay put.

"Is that… the Never Ending Story?" she asks suddenly, spotting the book on his bedside table.

"You said it was good," he shrugs.

"And? Is it?"

"I like it," he says.

She smiles widely. "Read to me?"

He pauses for a moment, then he grabs the book and gets comfortable.

* * *

Please leave a review. Thanks. :)


	25. Thursday, August 25th 2022

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's Note:** This is one of my personal favorites, so I really hope you like it :) Next chapter on Wednesday :)

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Four**

 **Thursday, August 25th 2022**

 **Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England**

Grace looks around; the lawn behind Malfoy Manor is covered in so many picnic blankets that it almost looks like one giant patchwork. There are people all over the place and an absolutely ridiculous amount of food on tables and blankets spread out through the garden. She spots Ashlyn and Leigh with Lily Potter and the Parkinson twins, Lily is talking animatedly while the others listen and occasionally giggle. A little further away Scorpius is being embarrassed by Georgiana if his scarlet face is anything to go by; Albus is not with them for once and instead is sitting with his mother. A few blankets over, Molly and Meredith are whispering about something and Grace smiles as she looks around for her own best friends.

She doesn't see Eva or Lysander, but Lorcan is standing at the edge of the small forest that is on the property and is leaning against an oak. She picks her way through the garden toward him, smiling at people as she passes them, but she doesn't stop until she is standing in front of Lorcan. Neither of them says anything, they just stand there for a moment smiling at each other until he nods in the direction of a little path leading into the forest and they leave the picnic behind.

The sounds of people fade as they walk and it is Grace who breaks the silence that follows. "Are you excited about going back to Hogwarts?"

"We have a week left still," he points out, "But yes, I am."

"You have to come visit Granny," she tells him, climbing on a log and balancing on it. "She'll be disappointed if she doesn't see you." And I'd like it if you came over, but she doesn't say that.

He climbs onto the log as well, which seems to be far easier for him, and it probably really is, because unlike her he's tall. "I promise," he stands on the log and looks at her. "You look great, by the way. Who picked out that dress?"

"It was a joint effort," Grace replies as she very carefully turns in a circle. "You like it?"

"I do."

They're standing on opposite ends of the log now and Grace notices that he, just like she, is barefoot. They start walking almost at the same time and meet in the middle. "Think we can manage without falling off?" The entire thing involves a whole lot of laughing, some shrieking (on Grace's part) and more close proximity than she can actually handle, but in the end neither of them has fallen off the log and Grace grins widely. "We did it."

Lorcan laughs. "True. But I just came up with a far easier way."

"You did?" Grace raises an eyebrow, because she can't really think of anything and he nods.

"I did." And then without warning, he wraps his arms around her waist and lifts her feet into the air. She shrieks again and clings to him tightly, which makes him laugh as he simply turns around with her in his arms and puts her feet back on the log.

"That is far easier," she admits, looking up at him. "But now I'm on this side again."

This time they're both laughing as he picks her up and turns. Just as her toes touch the log, someone calls out to them, "There you are."

Grace blushes a little when she looks down to find Mr. Malfoy looking up at them. "Hey Dad," Lorcan says, he lowers her the rest of the way onto the log, but he doesn't let go completely.

"You're starting to be missed you know," his father raises an eyebrow at them, but doesn't otherwise comment.

Lorcan sighs, and Grace looks at him instead. He looks disappointed for a moment, but then he smiles at his father. "Right, we're coming." He makes sure Grace is standing securely, before he jumps off the log. Then he turns back to her and holds out his arms. "I'll catch you. Promise."

"I know," she says softly, not sure if either Lorcan or his father can even hear her, and jumps into his arms. He smiles at her briefly and they return to the picnic.

* * *

Thank you for reading :) please leave a review?


	26. Thursday, September 1st 2022

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its related works.**

 **Author's Note:** Hey there :) It's Wednesday again and here's the new chapter. We're back at Hogwarts!

Before we begin though, a **question** to those of you who have this story on their **alert** list: Have you been getting the emails? I'd like to know if that's a singular problem or something bigger I'd have to look into. If you could get back to me, that'd be awesome!

Anyways, chapter 25 for all of you! I hope your week is going well and if not, well... half way to the weekend!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Five**

 **Thursday, September 1** **st** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace looks at the boy and offers him a smile. He is rather on the short side and his ash blonde hair is sticking out in every direction as he stands before her with his wobbling lip and tear-filled eyes. "What's your name?" she asks him softly.

"Caradoc," his breath hitches as he speaks. "I wanna see my sister."

"What's her name?" Grace asks as she pats the couch to her left. Her right is already occupied by a girl named Arlie who is still sniffling quietly, but no longer sobbing which Grace considers definite success.

Caradoc sits down and looks at her. "Aimee," he says, "she's a Hufflepuff."

Without meaning to Grace glances at Lorcan, who is sitting in an armchair watching them with his knees drawn up to his chest. She returns her attention to Caradoc. "We can go look for her tomorrow, alright?"

"Why not now?" Caradoc demands, his lip wobbling dangerously.

"We're not allowed to leave right now. It's really late, after curfew," she smiles at him and rubs his back lightly, "Besides, Aimee is probably asleep. But we'll go first thing tomorrow. If you want to, that is."

The boy nods slowly, "I want to."

"Then that's what we're going to do. Tomorrow. After you had a good night's sleep, okay?"

Before Caradoc can reply, someone comes down the steps. "Grace? Are you still here?" Angus Fawley, who as Grace has come to know is just as intelligent as his Gryffindor twin, calls before he's even fully downstairs. "We're missing one of the boys." He looks a bit panicked until he sees Caradoc sitting next to Grace and he relaxes.

"Caradoc," Grace smiles softly. "That's Angus. Will you go back upstairs with him?" When she receives a hesitant nod, she turns to the new prefect. "You should check if any of the others are awake as well," she tells him. "I read to the girls last year, it works wonders."

"Thanks," Angus smiles and holds out a hand to Caradoc. The boy pads over to him and takes it. Then, the two of them disappear to the boys' dorms.

"You should go back to bed too, Arlie," Grace says softly, turning to the girl by her side. "Before someone comes looking for you as well."

"Can you come with me?" Arlie sniffles, clutching her stuffed elephant tightly.

"I'm staying here for a little longer, Arlie. Just in case someone else needs me," she brushes a strand of hair out of Arlie's face. "But I promise I will come and check up on you before I go to bed." The little girl nods and shuffles toward the stairs. Grace watches her go, until she feels the couch dip beside her and she turns.

"Do I count as someone that needs you?" Lorcan asks her with a crooked smile.

"That depends…" Grace returns his smile. "Do you need me?"

"I always need you, Gracie," he says and she can feel the blood rush to her face. He chuckles and touches her cheek. They stare at each other for a few long moments.

"You didn't have to wait up, you know," the words rush out of her mouth unbidden and break the tension. He pulls his hand back and leans against the couch. She wants to hit herself, because she most definitely destroyed the moment, but that would probably just make things worse.

"I wanted to," he tells her and he smiles again, but it looks different somehow. It doesn't quite reach his eyes.

She grabs one of the pillows and wraps her arms around it much like Arlie was holding her stuffed elephant earlier. Stupid, she tells herself. So stupid.

"You're great with those kids," Lorcan says, after the silence has stretched on for a while.

Grace turns and smiles at him. "I love kids," she says softly. "I can't imagine not having kids one day."

He looks at her in a way that she doesn't quite know what to make off. "You'll be a great mum," he tells her and something in his voice makes her blush again.

"Do you want kids?" she asks him. She can't quite bring herself to look at him fully, so she just glances at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I do," he says softly and when she settles into the couch beside him and leans her head on his shoulder, he doesn't protest. She closes her eyes and breaths deeply. She isn't sure if he thinks she's asleep or not when he kisses the top of her head, but the wide smile that spreads over her face probably gives her away. Still, neither of them says anything.

An hour later when no more upset first years have come downstairs, they get up. It's almost as if there've agreed to do it, only no one spoke. And when they stand in front of the stairs to the girls' dorms she pushes herself up on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek. "Good night," she whispers.

"Good night, Gracie," he smiles at her and this time it reaches his eyes. Her own smile is probably incredibly giddy and it stays on her face until she has fallen asleep.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review or drop me a PM in my inbox! I would love to know what you think! (Or just come say hi if you'd rather. I certainly wouldn't mind :))


	27. Thursday, September 8th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR.**

 **Author's Note:** Hello :) I don't know about you guys, but by this point my friend/beta reader was insanely curious about what goes on in Lorcan's head and while we're not getting a chapter from his POV for a little while longer, if you want to know more, you should really check out "If I told you" by Nick Howard, it's the song this story was named after, and I'm a little bit in love with it :)

 **To the Guest** (I don't have any other way of reaching you, so this will have to be it :)) **:** Does it say what is incorrect? Sometimes, I apparently get the code wrong, but I can't remember if the error is called "invalid [something I forgot atm]" or "incorrect [still don't remember]". If it's not that code maybe you should try reaching out to the team :)

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Six**

 **Thursday, September 8** **th** **2022**

 **Great Hall, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace looks at Eva when Lorcan still hasn't showed up half an hour after their usual dinner time and bites her lip. "Did he mention something to you that he wouldn't be coming?" she asks, but Eva shakes her head.

"I'm sure it's nothing," she reassures her, "You know how he is. Sometimes he just gets so caught up in thinking that he forgets about everything."

Grace wants to point out to her that that's a rather rare occurrence when it comes to Lorcan, it's more likely to be Leigh or Lysander who get so lost in a project or a song or a book that they can't be bothered with things as mundane as eating, but she doesn't. Because Eva is right, sometimes Lorcan is nowhere to be found for a little and when he reappears all he will say about it is that he had to think something over. "Right," she says, as she gets up, "I'll see you tomorrow, Evie." She smiles at Rosa and Sarah, and walks toward the entrance hall.

"Grace!" someone calls and a moment later, Zoe catches up to her. She grins, "Hey. So you and Lysander, huh? Where did he go off to? He left really early."

Grace shakes her head. "Don't be ridiculous, Zoe. Lysander and I are friends," she says. "And don't tell me there's no such thing as platonic relationships between girls and boys, because there very much is. Just take you an Archie."

"You know that's not quite the same," Zoe replies, still grinning.

Grace rolls her eyes. "Are you not telling me about the part where you and Archie are in love? Because otherwise it very much is the same."

Zoe laughs, "You two are the ones that don't look like just friends." Grace looks at her and wonders how on earth she came to that conclusion.

"We are friends," she repeats. "Nothing more. You don't have to believe me, but it's the truth." Zoe just grins at her and they walk the rest of the way to the common room in silence.

When they reach the door, Zoe reaches up and uses the knocker. The eagle comes to life and looks at them for a moment before he speaks, "You will always find me in the past, I can be created in the present, but the future can never taint me. What am I?"

The two girls look at each other. "Something to do with time," Zoe says, and Grace nods thoughtfully.

"History!" they exclaim at the same time and the eagle inclines its head as the door swings open. They enter the common room and look around.

He's there.

Grace thinks she's probably less surprised than she should be (he missed dinner after all), but it seems so natural to her that Lorcan should be sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, that she doesn't even question it. "I'll see you around Zoe," she says as she drifts toward the couch. Zoe giggles behind her, but she really doesn't care. Let her think what she will.

He's humming as she approaches him, but it's not a song she knows. When she sits down next to him, he stops. "What was that song?" she asks with a small smile.

He smiles, but he looks a bit caught off guard. "It's called 'If I told you'. It's a muggle song, about ten years old or so," his voice is quiet as he talks about it.

"How come you're singing it?" she inquires as she gets comfortable.

"I wasn't singing," he chuckles when she rolls her eyes at him, and continues, "It's just… it was stuck in my head and… it kind of feels like it fits really well right now."

"How come?" she looks up at him, but he just smiles.

"That's for me to know and for you to wonder about, Gracie."

She sighs, but accepts that he won't talk about it and changes the topic instead. "Why weren't you at dinner?"

"Wasn't hungry," he isn't quite looking at her and she wonders why for a moment, but then he reaches out, puts an arm around her shoulders and pulls her to his side. It sends the butterflies into overdrive and Grace can't really think about anything except that for a little. She takes a few deep breaths and tells herself to calm down. "Do you still stay up all night just in case you get a homesick first year?"

She shakes her head. "No, they know all the prefects by now, if they need one of us they come and wake us," she chuckles. "Angus is apparently quite popular with them, he complained about barely getting any sleep the other day."

"And you?" he asks her.

"Arlie comes and finds me a lot," she says, "Sometimes Sophie and Erin do too."

He doesn't say anything to that and after a while she turns slightly to look at him. She finds him looking right back at her, his eyes unreadable and a crooked smile playing around his lips. For a moment she is sure she can't breathe and she finds herself unable to break eye contact. Then, something shatters and someone curses on the other side of the common room and the moment is broken. Still, Grace wonders if she imagined his eyes flickering to her lips or if that really happened.

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Thank you for reading! Please leave a review!


	28. Thursday, September 15th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR. No one steals what I write.**

 **Author's Note:** A big thank you to Andromeda2000 for supplying me with the text for the translation. Enjoy!

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 **Chapter Twenty-Seven**

 **Thursday, September 15** **th** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace stares at her translation and lets out a frustrated sigh. It makes no sense! She closes her eyes and counts to ten, before looking at each Rune in turn and studying it closely.

"You look ready to throw something." She can't help but smile when she looks up to find Lorcan standing in front of the table.

"Hey," she says as he pulls out a chair and sits next to her.

"So what's wrong?" He picks up one of her spare quills and tucks it behind her ear.

"It's just… this," she picks up the runes she's supposes to be translating and waves them around. "It makes no sense! Like… at all. I've checked all the runes. Four times! I'm not getting them wrong, I checked with both Spellman's Syllabary and the Rune Dictionary, but it just…" She drops the sheet of parchment with another frustrated sigh.

His lips twitch, and he's probably laughing at her at least a little. "I could have a look," he offers, "I mean… you were always better at Runes than me, but I did take that class for three years."

She smiles at him. "Would you?"

He smiles back for a moment before focusing on the runes. "This means… dinner, right?" He points to one of the runes.

"I went with table, because of this rune right here that means trees," she points it out to him, "But it does mean dinner as well."

"Right and then this one means to take place, yes?" He doesn't even look at her for a reply, before he continues, "And here we have world, so something takes its place in the world. And then lots of verbs… Right, can I see what you have?" She nods and hands it to him and he reads it out loud. "Then from the table," he looks at her, "You put a question mark here, why?"

"I figured it might mean wood or something… table just doesn't make sense," she shrugs.

"That on the other hand does make sense. Alright so… Then from the table of newly-formed trees, astonishing and curious, took its place in the world: it was winged, it walked, it crawled, it ran and it sang." He looks up from her translation. "You're right, _this_ makes no sense."

"I know!" she exclaims, before she lowers her voice a little, "I mean… it's a table, it can't do all those things… even if it's wood, it can't!"

"It's more than that, though," he points out, "look here, this part 'from the table'," he looks at her, "can we just go with wood?" She nods and motions for him to go on, which he does. "Right so, 'from the wood' implies that something comes from the wood and that's the thing that's astonishing and whatnot and can do all those things."

"But… there's no other noun in the entire sentence," she sighs.

"We'll just have to check again," he grabs Spellman's Syllabary from the table and hands the Rune Dictionary to her. They sit in silence for a while, checking each individual rune over until he grins. "I've got something! Here about to take one's place: 'in many myths, it also holds the meaning of creatures." He looks at her, still grinning. "There's your noun, Gracie."

"Thank you!" she smiles widely and kisses his cheek. "How did I not see that?"

He takes a moment to reply and clears his throat before he does, "It's on the next page. You know the Spellman has a terrible layout sometimes." He rubs the back of his neck "Oh and our dinner, table, wood rune also means bark."

"You are the best, I swear," she smiles widely and scratches out the sentence viciously, before taking a moment to work out what the runes actually mean. "Here, how's this? 'Then from the bark of newly-formed trees, astonishing, curious creatures took their place in the world: they were winged, they walked, they crawled, they ran and they sang.'" She looks at him expectantly.

"Much better," he smiles crookedly and she just has to kiss his cheek again.

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Thank you for reading :) please leave a review? :)


	29. Thursday, September 22nd 2022

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its related works.**

 **Author's Note:** Enjoy chapter 28, everyone!

 **Annie** as a beginning of my thank you (because I could not be doing this without you), I named a portrait after you.

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight**

 **Thursday, September 22** **nd** **2022**

 **Great Hall, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace is laughing at something Archie said when Flora King, this year's head girl, approaches her. She sits down between Grace and Zoe, who has been staring at Lysander something awful, and looks at her. "Sooo… I know you said you didn't want Thursday night rounds, Grace, but… I've set Irina and Monty to supervising detention with Daniel and Meredith, and Camilla is covering my rounds with Kalina, so that we can actually get some heads stuff done, Coral has rounds with Valerian and I want one experienced prefect on call for whatever comes up in each house, so that's Rosa, Barney and Mortimer out, and Jesse's had rounds for the last five days and I think he'll kill me if I give him another one, but I also don't want the fifth years on their own yet, and…" she's talking a mile a minute and doesn't seem to be about to stop.

"Flora," Grace says, "Flora, slow down. You're trying to tell me I'm covering for…" she quickly checks off names in her head, "Blaine or Jason, because everyone else is busy, yes?"

"Jason," Flora replies, "He's busy saying hi to his breakfast. And Blaine has a broken leg, something really complicated the nurse says, so he's not allowed to get up, Jesse has been covering for him, but thankfully Blaine's off today or I'd have hell on my hands even more than I do already."

"Right, soo… Jason's rounds with…?" Grace looks at her questioningly.

"Rose," Flora glances around. "I thought I saw her earlier."

"I'll find her," Grace smiles and Flora looks incredibly relieved that she isn't arguing with her.

"Thank you. And again, I'm really sorry." She gets up. "I'll be in the heads' dorms should anything come up."

Grace turns back around to look at her friends. Lorcan's easy smile from earlier is gone and she feels terrible, she almost blurts out that she'll still be there just later, but Zoe speaks before she can. "So Grace… why did you not want Thursday night rounds?"

"That is a very good question," Eva says from her other side and Louisa and Carla lean around Archie curiously. They're like a horde of vultures circling their prey, which just happens to be Grace.

"I like Thursday evenings," is all she says, and even if that doesn't even come close to stopping their barrage of questions it's definitely worth it when she sees the small smile that steals its way onto Lorcan's face.

Grace makes it through dinner without giving a clear answer and Lorcan is looking on definitely amused, because the girls are like a dog with a bone, but Grace thinks she does pretty well. Still, if she gets up a little bit earlier than she normally would, then that's her business and hers alone. "I'm going to go find Rose," she says and looks around.

"I'll walk you," Lysander grins, looking up at her for once, but Grace shakes her head.

"She's literally twenty meters in that direction, Lysander. I'll be fine on my own," she tells him and ignores his absolutely over-dramatic sigh and the strange looks on most of their faces. She touches Eva's shoulder and looks around. "I'll see you all… tomorrow at the latest." And then she turns and walks toward the mane of red hair that can only belong to Rose. None of the other Weasleys have hair quite that wild. She sits down next to her and smiles. "I don't know if Flora told you, but apparently Jason is sick, so… you're with me for the night."

Rose smiles. "Alright… I didn't know that, but…" she laughs a little, "I do now, don't I?"

Grace laughs along. "And… your rounds are where usually?"

"Top floors and towers," Rose replies, her lips twitching, "Was Flora busy and distracted again?"

"Very much so. I'll meet you say 15 minutes before curfew by the portrait of Sir Cadogan, okay?" Rose nods and Grace gets up. "Great. Until then."

She passes the time until she is supposed to meet Rose in the library and still gets there five minutes before they're meant to meet. Rose doesn't though and when still isn't there half an hour after the agreed time, Grace starts to get a bit worried that maybe she was here before her and didn't notice the painting, because Sir Cadogan is one of his trips around the castle again and without him the painting is really not very recognizable.

Grace decides to go looking. She probably should have picked a different meeting place, but it was the first thing that came to mind and now it's too late to change it. And because she might as well do rounds while she's at it, she checks a few broom cupboards and classrooms on the way that are popular places for a little rendezvous. When she reaches the bottom of the astronomy tower she turns to one of the paintings. It shows a little girl and her teddy bear and they very rarely leave. "Anyone up there, Annie? Preferably a girl, about so tall with red hair."

"There is someone up there," Annie says in her soft, high voice. "I just… I don't know what they look like. I was playing with Bear, when I heard someone go up the steps, but… I didn't see who it was." She shrugs lightly.

"I'll go check then," Grace replies. "Bye Annie. Bye Bear. And thank you." She waves before she goes up the stairs and gets a little wave from both girl and teddy in return. There are no portraits lining the stairs up to the astronomy tower, just a few tapestries. One, almost all the way up, hides a little alcove, which is another popular spot among couples, so she checks it as she passes. There's no one there. She's a little relieved, because she hates catching couples make out.

Grace reaches the top of the stairs and pushes the door to the tower open. For a moment she thinks there's no one there. Then, she sees the lone figure scribbling something on a star chart. She smiles. "I should give you detention, you know."

"Gracie!" Lorcan exclaims, as he whirls around. "You're not supposed to sneak up on people like that!"

She chuckles and walks over to him. "Is your homework not done, Lorcan?" she shakes her head disapprovingly but she is smiling.

He rolls his eyes at her. "It's not due until Monday."

"Hmmm," she leans over his shoulder. "That star looks off," she points it out to him, "Deneb should be in line with Sadr and together with Albireo and Eta Cygni the two should form a pretty straight line, not this squiggle."

Lorcan laughs. "Well, that's where that star is, Gracie. I wasn't going for supposed to; I would have just found a star chart in the library in that case."

"Stars don't just move, though," she sits down next to him. "Let me see?"

"Be my guest," he motions to the telescope in front of him and she scoots over so she can look through it and won't have to find the stars again. There isn't all that much space between him and the telescope though so she ends up halfway in his lap.

"These stars are very much not in that squiggle," she tells him. "They're really, really not."

Lorcan leans forward and rests his chin on her shoulder to look through the telescope. She glances at him out of the corner of her eyes and smiles at how incredibly focused he looks. "You're right," he says after a while, "It actually is a pretty straight line."

She smiles triumphantly even though she's a little disappointed when he pulls his head from her shoulder and sits up straight again, but when she turns around, the 'I told you so' dies on her lips. Because he's close. Impossibly close. And as she stares at him, her words lost somewhere between her brain and her mouth, his eyes flicker to her lips just briefly. This time she's sure she didn't just imagine it. And she can't help glancing at his mouth as well. There is something in the air, something that makes her think that… but then there is a noise on the stairs and the jump apart.

"What?" They both turn to the door

"It must be tonight's astronomy class," Grace whispers.

"We… should get out of here before Professor Sinistra gets here," Lorcan starts gathering his telescope quickly and Grace rolls up his star chart. He grabs her hand on the way out and hurriedly pulls her into the alcove that she checked for couples not too long ago. A little giggle escapes her at the thought and he covers her mouth with his hand. "Shh, Gracie," he breathes into her ear as he pulls her to his chest. Her heart is beating faster than it has any right to, she thinks, even with the class (third years, she can pick out Leigh's voice easily and thinks that she must be talking to Ashlyn) passing so close. They stay like that for longer than they probably have to, because the class must have started by now, but she really doesn't mind. In fact, she is more upset when he lets go of her. But then he grins and grabs her hand and suddenly they're running, running down the stairs and past Annie and Bear, running through corridors and around corners, running until they find themselves leaning against a wall out of breath and laughing.

Grace finds herself caught in his gaze the moment she so much as glances at him and as always can't seem to break eye contact. But something is different and whatever seemed so certain, so inevitable up on the tower seems to be just out of reach all of the sudden. Still, neither of them dares to move or speak as they stare at each other as though transfixed.

"Grace!" Rose's voice shatters the moment. "Thank Merlin, I thought I was never going to find you! I met Sir Cadogan, but he wouldn't tell me where his painting was and… am I interrupting something?"

Lorcan clears his throat and smiles at the redhead. "Not at all," he says, before turning to Grace and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I will see you around, Gracie."

When he's gone, Rose looks at Grace. "I did interrupt something."

"Let's just… finish up these rounds, Rose," Grace smiles at her. "There is nothing for you to worry about."

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Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you have a moment :)


	30. Thursday, September 29th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR.**

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine**

 **Thursday, September 29** **th** **2022**

 **Black Lake, Hogwarts, Scotland**

"So how have we still not managed to ride the squid?" Eva lets herself fall onto the blanket next to Grace with a dramatic sigh and Grace laughs. "I'm kind of disappointed in us, I really am."

"Evie, you decided that when you were 11, and no one else said they'd do it," Lorcan points out from his spot on a large rock where he is throwing bread to the squid.

"Gracie did," Eva retorts immediately, before turning to Grace, "You did say that! I remember it; don't even try to deny that you did." She crosses her arms in front of her chest and lifts her chin, which looks a little bit ridiculous, because she is still lying on the blanket.

Grace laughs again. "Before we graduate," she says finally, "we will at least go and say hi in person, yes?"

Lysander chuckles and jumps out of the tree he was sitting in. "You should take that, dearest sister. I think that's the best you're gonna get." He sits on the blanket and rummages through the picnic basket. "Lorc! Are you feeding all of our bread to the squid?"

"We already ate, Ly," Lorcan points out, "You had twice as much as everyone else."

Eva giggles and pokes her eldest brother in the side, "Are you hungry again?"

"I'm a growing boy! I need to eat," Lysander protests.

"Oh please, don't grow anymore. You're all ridiculously tall as it is," Grace closes her eyes to feel the warm September sun on her face. Summer will be over very soon; this might be one of the last warm days they get before fall is upon them with endless hours of howling wind and so much rain that it turns the grounds into a mud slide.

"No worries," Lorcan's voice is closer than it was and it comes closer still as he speaks, "that's just Lysander trying to justify why his stomach in a black hole." There's something between her and the sun for a moment and she opens one eye to see Lorcan sit down beside her. "I mean… Mum is barely taller than you, Gracie, I have no idea how we ended up this tall."

"It must be our awesomeness," Lysander comments from somewhere by Eva's head. "And Dad's genes."

Eva laughs, "It's totally cute though, our height differences, I mean. I love that one picture with all of us, where you're in the middle Gracie and we're all around you and you're so tiny."

"I am not tiny!" Grace protests, but she is smiling. She loves that picture too, she has it framed and keeps it on her nightstand here at Hogwarts and puts it up on the piano when she is home.

"You are," Lorcan says and she is sure he is smiling from the sound of his voice alone, "But Evie is right, it's very cute."

She opens her eyes and smiles slightly. "I'd say you guys are cute too, but you're rather too tall for that."

Eva laughs next to her and they don't speak for a while. Lorcan is sitting next to Grace in a tailor's seat with the picnic basket next to him and he's throwing grapes for Lysander to catch, who does so with great enthusiasm. Sometimes he just barely manages not to fall onto either Eva or Grace or even both of them, but they don't really mind even if they make a great show of pushing him off and giggle into each other's hair, while Lorcan runs out of grapes and moves on to blueberries. It's a lovely afternoon that rapidly turns into evening as Eva and Grace point out clouds to each other with their joined hands and Lorcan and Lysander grow tired of their game and join the girls in their cloud watching. There's no need for grand gestures or moving speeches. This right here is all they need.

But because everything has to come to an end, Lysander sits up at some point after the clouds have started turning pink and orange and looks at them. "There's… something I need to do," he tells them. "I will see you tomorrow." The other three smile and nod and stay for a little while longer, but soon they start gathering up the blanket and the basket and make their way back inside.

Eva is walking ahead, spinning in circles and laughing and just looking wonderfully, blissfully happy and Grace holds the blanket a little bit tighter. She loves seeing Eva like this. When they reach the entrance hall, Lorcan offers to take both blanket and basket to give them back to the house elves and Grace tells him she'll help, because it was Eva and Lysander that organized the picnic in the first place. They tell Eva good bye quietly and she kisses both of them on the cheek before she dances up the grand staircase.

Grace finds herself glancing at Lorcan a lot on the way to the kitchen, but they still don't speak. It's a nice kind of silence, she thinks, there is no need to fill it, no need to break it, there's just companionship and she rather likes it.

"I'll walk you to your common room," he says softly when they've returned their picnic supplies and she agrees with a smile and a nod. It's something she could get used to, this walking a little too close to each other thing.

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Thank you for reading :) please leave a review?


	31. Thursday, October 6th 2022

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's Note:** Heya... so there was no Sunday update. I blame real life. I had a really busy Sunday and when I got home I just fell asleep. And then I kind of told myself I'd do a Monday update, but I forgot about that and my Tuesdays are simply far too really busy to go anywhere near a computer. I also wanted to let you guys know that since I won't be home (nor anywhere near a computer/internet connection) starting tomorrow, there will be no update on Friday. There might (might being the keyword here) be an update on Sunday, but I can't make any promises since I don't know for sure when I'll be back home. So that's that. And now on to the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty**

 **Thursday, October 6th 2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace laughs loudly and looks at Archie as he pushes the door open. "That is ridiculous, Archibald. Honestly, why would you do that?"

He turns bright red and mutters something that Grace can't quite make out over Louisa's giggles and her own laughter. Carla shakes her head at them and follows Archie inside. "Hey, Grace?" she asks, looking confused suddenly. "Isn't that your sister?"

"Ashlyn?" Grace pushes past Louisa into the common room and follows Carla's gaze. Ashlyn is indeed sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace. Her knees are drawn up to her chest and she has wrapped her arms around them. Sitting beside her is Lorcan. His voice is too quiet to be heard, but by the look on his face he's trying to reassure her. "I'll see you guys around," Grace tells her housemates absently already on her way over to Ashlyn and Lorcan. She makes sure to approach where he at least will see her, and he smiles slightly when she catches his eye.

"There she is now, Ashlyn," he says soothingly and when Ashlyn turns, Grace can see that her eyes are faintly red.

"Hey," she says softly and sits on the couch next to Ashlyn. At almost 14, Ashlyn has outgrown her older sister by almost an inch, but when Grace holds out her arms, Ashlyn lets herself fall into them. She isn't crying even if Grace is sure she must have been at some point. "What's wrong, sweetie?" she asks her quietly.

Ashlyn just buries her face deeper in Grace's shoulder and so it's Lorcan who replies. "My sister needs to sort out her priorities."

"Your sister?" Grace is confused for a moment because when she thinks about Lorcan's sister the first person that comes to mind is Eva, but there's nothing she can think of that Eva might have done to upset Ashlyn. Then she realizes he must be talking about his other sister, the one that's far closer to Ashlyn anyways. "Leigh? Why? What happened?"

"I told her he was a jerk," Ashlyn sniffles, "and she wouldn't listen and… and now she hates me."

"Why would she hate you?" Grace asks, before mouthing 'He?' at Lorcan over her sister's shoulder.

'Boyfriend,' Lorcan mouths back and Grace grimaces slightly before turning her attention back to Ashlyn.

"She won't… she won't talk to me," the youngest of the group says, though her voice is muffled by her sister's shoulder. "And Doro said that Leigh doesn't need us anymore now."

Grace sighs quietly. "You know… I think Doro is scared that Leigh won't need you all anymore, that's why she said that. But she's wrong. Do you want to know how I know that?" Ashlyn nods silently. "I know," Grace continues, "because friends are something great and wonderful and when you think everything is going wrong, they'll be there to help you. Leigh won't stop needing you because she has a boyfriend now. That doesn't change that you're best friends. And this is not the first fight you had. She might be mad at you right now, because she really likes that boy and she wants you to be happy for her, so when you told her you're not and you don't like him at all, she got angry and upset. But she'll come around," she pauses, "And you should probably apologize, Lyn. You insulted someone she really likes."

"But he really is a jerk," Ashlyn protests.

Lorcan chuckles, "She's right, you know. Damon Orpington is a stuck up little brat." Ashlyn giggles into Grace's shoulder. "Grace is also right, though, Ashlyn. You should apologize. Because Leigh is still your friend, a boyfriend won't change that."

Ashlyn sighs, but she stops hiding in her sister's arms and smiles at them.

"That's better," Lorcan smiles as well, "Now who's up for some chess?"

"I've never played," Ashlyn admits quietly.

"No worries," he says, as Grace grabs the chess board from underneath the couch and summons the figurines. "I'll explain it to you. And then you can help me beat your sister." He flashes Grace a grin.

Grace laughs, "You're going to need all the help you can get for that. I will wipe the floor with you, Mr. Malfoy."

"We shall see about that," he sets up the board. "We shall see."

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Thank you for reading! :)


	32. Thursday, October 13th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR.**

 **Author's Note:** So I figured since there was no Sunday update, a Monday update might be nice instead.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-One**

 **Thursday, October 13th 2022**

 **Kitchens, Hogwarts, Scotland**

"So what are we baking?" Lorcan is leaning against the wall and Grace thinks that if this kitchen is a size too small for her then he's like a giant amongst men. The house elves bustle around them, fretting about the fact that the two of them are actually here to bake and not eat. It drives them a little bit crazy, Grace knows, but it's Ashlyn's birthday tomorrow and while her sister and Leigh are on speaking terms again, it's rather tense and Grace knows Ashlyn isn't taking it all that well. So here they are.

"Her favorite is strawberry cheesecake," she looks at him. "Think we can manage that?"

"We can try," Lorcan smiles at her and Grace produces the piece of parchment with the recipe her mother had owled her.

"Right," she looks at it, "We need butter and shortbread and… eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar," her lips twitch as everything she names appears on the table instantly. It seems that the house elves are determined to make themselves useful. "Also cream cheese, whipped cream, corn starch and… some other stuff later. Oh and oil right now, too."

Lorcan rolls up the sleeves of his uniform. "So, Gracie, what should I do?"

Stop being so good-looking, she thinks, but she has enough self-control still to not let that thought past her lips. "How do you feel about turning our shortbread into crumbles?"

"You mean I'm beating it into a pulp?" he laughs before he puts the shortbread into some kind of bag that one of the house elves hands him and grabs the rolling pin off the table.

While he turns his attention to crushing the shortbread, she melts the butter in a tiny pot on an equally tiny stove. They work well together, even more so once she's simply put the recipe on the table so both of them can look at it when they need to and in less time than Grace expected they're putting the cake in the oven.

"In 45 minutes we'll need to cover it before it goes in the oven again for another 30 minutes," Grace says, looking at the recipe.

"And what are we going to do in the meantime?"

"I don't know… make cupcakes?" She looks up from the parchment and turns to him, but it would seem that the house elves are making the decision for them because the ingredients for more types of cupcakes than they can possibly hope to bake today appear on the table. Grace grins slightly. "Alright so apparently that wasn't a question. What's your favorite type of cupcake?"

"Chocolate with raspberry filling," he says, "And buttercream as a topping." He reaches his hand into a packet of flour.

"That sounds great actually," Grace picks up a bowl. "Look we even have raspberries!"

Lorcan grins at her and touches the tip of her nose with his now flour covered fingers. "You have something on your nose," he points out innocently as he takes one of the raspberries and pops it into his mouth.

"Oh really?" Grace turns and very carefully sets the raspberries back down. She dips her own hand into the packet of flour and then steps closer to him. He's watching her warily but he also makes no move to get away as she uses his tie to pull him down to eyelevel and then very deliberately lets the flour trickle from her hand onto his hair. "You have something in your hair," she whispers with an innocent smile.

They simply stand there looking at each other for a while until she sees him reaching for the flour and she turns and runs. She doesn't get very far (of course she doesn't, why are his legs so ridiculously long?) until he grabs her around the waist and pulls her to his chest. She tries to get away, but she can just barely reach the ground with her tiptoes and she doesn't truly want him to let her go even when he upends the packet of flour over her and, because he is still holding her close, himself as well. When they are both covered he lets the now empty packet fall to the floor.

"Close your eyes?" he asks her.

She chuckles, "They're already closed."

He laughs and then coughs a little presumably because he breathed in some flour. "Open your mouth." She does as she is told and he puts something in her mouth that at the very least isn't flour. "Okay, now close it," he says. It's a raspberry, she realizes then and she opens her eyes.

"Weren't the raspberries supposed to be for your cupcakes?"

"Wasn't the flour?" he retorts and she laughs.

"You started that," she points out.

"I guess I did," he lets go of her and sits on the table with a smile. She joins him. They end up not making cupcakes after all; instead they snack on raspberries and frosting as they wait for Ashlyn's cake to finish baking.

* * *

Thank you for reading :) reviews would be awesome :)


	33. Thursday, October 20th 2022

**Disclaimer: And I still don't own Harry Potter...**

 **Author's Note:** This is a short one, I'm afraid. Still, I hope you like it.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Two**

 **Thursday, October 20** **th** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace laughs and hits Lorcan's arm with a pillow. "You're terrible," she says.

"What? I'm just pointing out some things to you," he grins at her.

"I did not need to know that Carissa is making eyes at your brother," she protests, giggling.

He is still grinning when he plucks the pillow out of her hands. "She's not the only one, you know." When she looks at him questioningly, he motions her closer and leans forward to whisper in her ear. "Have you see Zoe look at him lately?"

His breath tickles her ear and she bites her lip for a moment. "She asked me about him a couple of weeks ago actually," Grace says, "That was the week when you didn't have dinner."

"Right, I remember the two of you came in together," he nods. "What did she want to know?"

Grace shrugs. "I think she wanted to find out if he was seeing someone. I mean… she didn't exactly come out and say it, but you know… she seemed to think he and I…" she shakes her head. "I mean… it's ridiculous, why would I want to date your brother?"

He looks at her strangely for a moment before he smiles just a little. "I don't know. Why would you?"

She rolls her eyes. "You tell me, because I have no idea."

Lorcan laughs. "He's considered good looking, isn't he? And funny enough, I suppose. And he flirts with you. A lot." His eyes are unreadable even though he's still smiling.

"We both know he doesn't mean anything by that," she points out. "That's just his way of… his way of life, I guess."

He smiles and leans forward, "So do you think Zoe and Ly would like… work out?"

She looks at him as she contemplates his question. "I don't know," she says finally, "I mean they get along well, but… dating is something else still, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he plays with the fraying edge of the pillow. "It is."

"You alright?" she looks at him worriedly and touches his shoulder lightly.

"Just fine," he smiles. "Let's talk about something else, yes?"

She accepts his request without hesitation and tries to come up with something that won't possibly lead them back to this slightly awkward, strangely hopeful topic. "Did you finish the Never-Ending Story?"

* * *

Thank you for reading :)


	34. Thursday, October 27th 2022

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its related works.**

 **Author's Note:** Another short chapter, I'm afraid. Next one is longer. But, since I have a very busy weekend ahead of me, I can't say when it'll be up. Wednesday at the latest.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Three**

 **Thursday, October 27** **th** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace is stretched out along the couch with her head in Lorcan's lap and her eyes closed as he gently untangles her hair. They have barely spoken all evening, but not because there's a lack of things to say. It just feels right for today be a time for quiet companionship and the occasional brief snippet of conversation. He starts humming, she's quite sure it's the same song as a couple of weeks ago, but she doesn't interrupt him. Instead, she listens until he she thinks he is done.

"Lorcan?" she asks without opening her eyes.

"Gracie?" His hands stop moving in her hair.

"Will you ever tell me why you like that song so much?"

There's a pause as he presumably considers her question. Then he says, "Not today."

"But some day, right?" She cracks open one eye and finds him looking down at her with a smile.

"Someday," he replies as he gets back to untangling her hair, "I promise."

She smiles and closes her eyes again and the silence returns. The sounds of the common room surround them but Grace is so focused on Lorcan's hands in her hair that they fade away. It doesn't matter who else is there, she thinks, because they're in their little couch shaped bubble and no one seems to dare break in. No one ever did, now that she thinks about it. They let Ashlyn share it with them once, but no one else ever approached them when they sat on this couch. She wonders why for a moment, but then she decides it doesn't matter. This is their time and if no one interrupts them then she will simply be glad for it.

"Gracie?" Lorcan asks after a while and she opens her eyes to show that she is listening. "Are you going to the Halloween party?"

"You mean the one on Saturday?" she smiles. He nods. "Eva informed me that I have no choice but to come along, so yes. Are you?"

"I was thinking about it," he says.

"You should come," she tells him quietly. "Really, you should."

He smiles. "Alright." She finds herself smiling back widely, because the prospect of a party sounds a whole lot more inviting now that she knows he will be there.

* * *

Thank you for reading :) please leave a review :)


	35. Saturday, October 29th 2022

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its related works.**

 **Author's Note:** So I know there was no Sunday update again and this is pretty late, but... at least this one is longer. And I'll just leave this here. In case anyone was wanting to see inside Lorcan's head... here you go!

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Four**

 **Saturday, October 29th 2022**

 **Room of Requirement, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Lorcan leans against a wall. The Room of Requirement looks like something out of One Thousand and One Nights, a series of round interconnected rooms with colorful lamps and low hanging silk baldachins. Seat cushions and low tables are interspersed throughout the rooms and occasionally there is a chaise longue that more often than not is occupied by a couple making out on it. It's not at all what he would have expected from a Halloween party, but he rather likes it.

He catches himself looking for her again and tells himself to stop, but it seems to be impossible. He just can't help turning hopefully every time he glimpses a short dark-haired girl, can't help craning his neck every time someone new enters their little room. It's a little bit ridiculous, but in the privacy of his own mind he admitted long ago that ridiculous seems to be the only thing he's capable of when it comes to her.

"Lorcan? Mate, were you even listening to me?" Quentin waves a hand in front of his face and Lorcan smiles sheepishly.

"Sorry," he looks at his friend. "What did you say?"

Quentin rolls his eyes at him, but he repeats himself without further prompting. "I was talking about Meredith. I saw her earlier and she's looking drop dead gorgeous today."

"She really is," Colin agrees, ignoring the fact that Quentin is instantly glaring at him, and Lorcan has to laugh. They all know that Colin is mostly saying that to get a rise out of Quentin, but it still works every single time.

"I don't know," he says, "You know blondes aren't my type."

Colin frowns at him. "Dude… you dated Anabell last year. It doesn't get blonder than that."

"That was before I realized that," Lorcan grins at him. "Now, Q, you should really just ask Meredith out and spare us your pining."

Quentin pulls a face at him and Colin laughs. "Speaking of pining," Lorcan can tell instantly that he's going to be questioned, "You're pining. Who is it?"

"I'm not pining," he protests.

"Sure," Colin draws out the word and Quentin laughs.

"That's why you got out that old muggle song again."

"It's just a song, Q," Lorcan rolls his eyes, but he knows they've caught him. He doesn't really consider what he is doing pining. He's simply taking things slowly, making sure he's not reading too much into every word and interaction and hoping he won't destroy a wonderful friendship in the process, because by now he's too far in to back out again.

"It's the most pining song in the history of mankind," Quentin declares, shaking his head. "Anyone else up for finding something to drink?"

He doesn't wait for a reply and Lorcan grins as Colin grumbles something that sounds suspiciously like "bossy" under his breath as they follow him. They move through a succession of rooms that are all subtly different from each other and the room they were in until they reach the main room, or at least what Lorcan considers the main room. It's larger than the others and also the one the entrance leads to. Additionally, this is the room where the snack table and the drinks are. They have almost reached those when Lorcan hears Eva's voice over the buzz of the crowd.

"Lorcan!" He turns to try and figure out where she is and sees her instantly. She must be sitting on someone's shoulders because her hand is brushing the baldachin as she waves him over.

"I'll go see what that's about," he tells Colin and Quentin and squeezes through the crowds toward his sister.

"We'll be there in a bit," Quentin calls after him and Lorcan nods absently. He wonders if Grace is where Eva is. It's likely, most days the two of them are still joined at the hip after all. It used to be more than it is now, back in first, second and third year the only time he ever saw them apart was during class. He reaches the group around Eva, who is indeed sitting on someone's shoulders, Jason's to be exact. Lysander is here, talking to Zoe, and James Potter and Fred Weasley are tickling Jason to get him to drop Eva. Molly smiles at him, but she is too engrossed in her conversation with Carla and Meredith to offer him a greeting beyond that. Louisa is standing next to Carla, but she is listening to Archie instead of the other girls. She's laughing at whatever he is telling her. There are a few more people that seem to belong to this group, but he can't see Grace and he tries not to let it get to him.

Then, Jason stumbles to the side to avoid his ambushers and there she is, laughing at one of Archie's jokes, one hand playing with a strand of her hair, the other on the back of the chaise longue next to her, and... Merlin, she's so beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning. And then she turns to him and smiles brilliantly as if he is the one person she has been waiting to see all night and he just can't help himself, can't stop himself from leaning in and kissing her. It's a soft kind of kiss, incredibly tender and even better than he imagined it.

Then his brain catches up with his actions and he pulls away because this is not taking things slowly. Not at all. And Grace is staring at him, her eyes wide and her lips parted slightly. Everyone is staring at him.

Lorcan turns on his heel and runs. It's probably a cowardly move, but no one ever said he was a Gryffindor. He stumbles out of the Room of Requirement and runs down the hallways without knowing where they lead. He runs until he can't anymore and he leans against the wall and sinks to the ground.

There are two things he is absolutely certain of. One, it had felt right to kiss Grace. And two, he messed up. He really, really did.


	36. Thursday, November 3rd 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR.**

 **Author's Note:** Well... I know I promised fluff, all the fluff, but even I can't resist a bit of angst. Please leave a review :)

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Five**

 **Thursday, November 3rd 2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Their little couch shaped bubble burst. She can hear them whisper now. Whisper about how she ran after Lorcan. Whisper about how he's avoiding her. Whisper about Lysander and Zoe and about how she and Lysander haven't really spoken either. That last one is not her fault. He's simply attached to Zoe whenever she sees him. If he weren't she'd probably ask him how people got the idea that the two of them were dating. It makes no sense to her still, but it also doesn't really matter.

What matters is that it's nearly eleven and it doesn't look like Lorcan will be showing up today. She closes her eyes to avoid Louisa's concerned looks, but also because every time she closes her eyes her mind replays the kiss he gave her at the party. She doesn't think she's ever been kissed quite like that, so sweet almost hesitant, but incredibly certain at the same time. She's imagined reaching out to him and kissing him back too many times to count, she's wondered if it would have made a difference if she had been able to find her voice to call out to him. She imagined finding him after he ran and kissing him again.

She had been so excited about the kiss, so excited to know for sure that it wasn't nothing, she wasn't imagining it, and it wasn't just her. And then he had started avoiding her. Grace is quite sure the last time he met her eyes was at that party just after he kissed her. And the last time they actually talked was exactly a week ago with her head in his lap and him untangling her hair and their couch shaped bubble still intact.

She almost wants to turn back time and not know what it feels like to kiss him, because then at least she'd still have that. Almost. Because now that she knows what it feels like to have his lips on hers, she never wants to not know that feeling again. And maybe he'll come. Maybe he'll stop avoiding her, because it's Thursday and even when he doesn't come to dinner he comes to see her here.

Grace opens her eyes for a moment only to find that Louisa is still looking at her concernedly, the gossips are still whispering amongst themselves and Lorcan is still not there. She sighs and turns over onto her other side so that she's facing the back of the couch and won't have to see any of them no matter whether her eyes are closed or not.

Flora had offered her a few days off when she had seen the dark circles under her eyes just this morning, but Grace had declined rather vehemently. Rounds weren't a bad distraction from the fact that she was worried, upset and confused and on top of that being avoided. The only thing she had requested was no rounds on Thursdays. Flora being Flora had agreed easily.

Grace sighs again and glances at the clock. Eleven thirty. He won't be coming anymore. But she won't be getting up either. She isn't sure how much time has passed when she hears someone approach her. The steps are too light for it to be Lorcan, so she doesn't turn and pretends to sleep. Whoever it is drapes a blanket over her. Grace drifts off soon after.


	37. Thursday, November 10th 2022

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its related works.**

 **Author's Note:** So... hi. I know it's been over a week, since the last update, but well... I'm headed for finals and tend to be forgetful occasionally, so with no reminder of this or of in general, well... I forgot. I'd say I'm sorry, but I don't know if anyone actually reads this/cares, soo... anyways. Finals. Finals mean less updates, because I have to focus on real life. I can't give you a regular schedule for updates or anything like that. I will try for once a week for as long as I still have prewritten chapters, but I will eventually run out (especially if writer's block continues the way it has for the last month or so). And since this AN is only getting longer because I'm procrastinating (and I should be studying. I need to get a good twenty theories on culture down in the next few week.), I'll end this here.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Six**

 **Thursday, November 10** **th** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace runs her fingers over the cover of the Tales of Beedle the Bard, but she can't quite bring herself to open it. She knows what she will find in there, apart from fairy tales. It's the reason she grabbed the book earlier, but now that she's sitting there on the couch (just a couch now, a couch and a whole lot of memories) she isn't sure any longer if she wants to read his letters.

She is saved from the decision by a voice. "Grace?" she looks up. Archie is looking back at her uncertainly. "Do you have a moment?"

"Sure," she puts the book aside. "What is it?"

"I was… I was wondering," he chews on his lip and Grace wonders what's wrong, it's not like Archie to not just come out and say what he want to say.

"You were wondering?" she prompts gently.

"It's… about Zoe," he says slowly, "and Lysander." She studies him closely as he speaks. "I… she's been talking about him for a couple of months now, but… I just never thought anything would come of it, because… well, you know…" She actually doesn't know, but she doesn't interrupt him. "And… I just… do you think this is revenge of some sort?"

"Revenge for what?" Grace looks at him uncomprehendingly. "Who would he be getting revenge on?"

"His brother?" Archie looks at her as if that much should have been obvious.

"Lorcan?" she steadfastly ignores the fact that her heart feels like it's been stabbed. "I don't think so… I mean they weren't on the best of terms this summer but they were fine these last couple of months and besides… it's not like Lorcan did anything that might have upset Lysander." Archie stares at her as if she just grew another head, but she keeps on talking. "Though, if you were actually talking about Scorpius… I have no idea what's going on there."

Archie looks at her. "I just… I don't want her to get hurt. Can you promise me he won't hurt her?"

Grace shakes her head. "This is Lysander we're talking about. No one can promise anything when it comes to him… but I do think he genuinely likes her." She pauses, not sure if she should continue. "Still… so do you, don't you?"

"Of course I like her, she's my best friend," Archie says, but there's something almost panicked in his eyes and Grace smiles softly.

"You know that's not what I meant," she absently brushes her fingertips over the cover again. When he tries to protest, she chuckles, because with his cheeks so red and stuttering himself through his defense it's not very believable. "Archie that's more of an open secret, you're aware of that, aren't you? I mean… I don't think anyone ever knew for sure, but… it's hard to miss."

"Zoe misses it just fine," Archie points out, his cheeks still red.

"That's… that's because it's much easier to miss the way someone is looking at you when you're the one being looked at," she doesn't look at him, she can't make herself. Instead, she focuses on the Tales of Beedle the Bard. "Just… be there for her in case he does hurt her. And please don't kill him should that happen." She grabs the book and gets up. Maybe she will read those letters after all. But not here. She makes for the stairs to the girls' dorms and ignores the little voice in her head that tells her to go back into the common room, because she should be there, she should be waiting.


	38. Thursday, November 17th 2022

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's Note:** A big thank you to those of you who reviewed the last chapter. And sorry for that very passive-aggressive author's note, I wasn't having the best day.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Seven**

 **Thursday, November 17th 2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts Scotland**

The common room is empty save for a few students that are finishing up essays in a panic, but still Grace can't make herself get up. She's been looking into the fire for longer than she cares to admit and hoping despite everything that he will show. She doesn't know why she does that. It makes absolutely no sense. They still haven't really spoken, and he's avoided sitting with her in class. There have been a few awkward moments of eye contact this week, but she isn't sure if she should consider that progress or simply unavoidable with the two of them having a lot of the same friends. It's so very different from before, when they would seek each other out for no particular reason. And she's seriously reconsidering her opinion on the turning back time thing.

The door swings open and Zoe flits inside. Her hair is all over the place, but then again it usually is, because Zoe has a habit of running her hands through her hair when she thinks. What is, however, slightly unusual is that she appears to be a giggly mess. When she sees Grace she sobers up slightly, but she's still practically skipping on her way over to the couch.

Zoe lets herself fall onto the couch next to Grace and grins at her. "You're in a good mood," Grace comments.

Zoe laughs. "Perhaps. " Then she sits up straight. "Grace?"

"Yes?"

"Why is Archie avoiding me?" Zoe is looking at her intently.

"How would I know?" She replies too fast, she realizes that the moment Zoe's eyes narrow.

"Maybe because I know what Archie looks like when he's asking for help without saying anything and lately he's been looking at you every time I try to talk to him?" Zoe crosses her arms.

"Ahh…" Grace bites her lip, "I don't think I'm supposed to tell you."

"Come on, Grace," Zoe takes her hand. She appears a whole lot less giggly and a whole lot more lost than she did earlier.

"I…" Grace looks away, but it's too late, she's already fallen prey to Zoe's begging expression. "He doesn't quite know how to deal with this… thing you and Lysander have going," she whispers, still refusing to look at Zoe. She's sure it was a terrible idea to tell her, even though Archie never explicitly asked her not to.

"Oh," Zoe says quietly. "Why?"

Grace shrugs, "It just… makes him uncomfortable, I think."

"Hmmm," Zoe looks uncertain when Grace risks a glance her way. Then she gets up and holds out her hands. "We should go to bed, Grace. It's late."

"Alright, Zo," Grace takes the offered hands and they leave the common room. Just before the disappear up the steps, Grace looks at the entrance one more time.

* * *

Please leave a review :)


	39. Thursday, November 24th 2022

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its related works.**

 **Author's Note:** I would like to thank you all for your patience. It might interest you to know that so far the time I've spent studying instead of writing/updating has paid off and my first exam went quite well. I'm ahead of schedule for the second one, so I'm taking a moment to post this chapter. I'm afraid I cannot say when I will update next. And now without further ado: Chapter 38!

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Eight**

 **Thursday, November 24** **th** **2022**

 **Sixth Year Girls' Dorm, Ravenclaw Tower, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace sighs and stares at her essay, the same way she's been doing for the past hour. She had been trying to prove herself that she could avoid the common room on Thursdays with no problem after last week's late night. The only thing she's proving, though, is that she can't. She huffs and throws her essay onto the bed. Then, she leaves for the common room. The couch is empty. Of course it's empty, she thinks angrily as she sits down and grabs one of the pillows to hug as she tries not to cry. She does her best not to pay attention to the door every time it opens, because it won't do to get her hopes up again.

That's why she doesn't notice Eva until her friend is sitting next to her and pulling her into a hug. Neither of them says anything for a while as Grace lets herself relax in Eva's arms and hugs her instead of the pillow.

"I think I've watched this quite long enough, Gracie," Eva tells her finally. "Do I need to go hit my brother over the head?"

Grace laughs a little. "No," she says softly.

"Really? I think he deserves it," Eva assures her. "Starting up that thing with Zoe… how do you feel about the fact that Lorcan kissed you, by the way? You two have been avoiding each other like crazy."

Grace blinks at her slowly. "Why would… Evie, who are you… who deserves it?"

"Lysander, of course," Eva says matter-of-factly.

Grace frowns at her. "Can you explain to me why everyone thinks I dated Lysander or have a crush on him?"

"Don't you?" Eva asks, looking confused.

"No," Grace shakes her head. "Not at all."

"Gracie, you two have been hanging out here," she motions around the room, "almost every Thursday since April. And rumor has it you seem quite comfortable. I mean, I never expected Ly to be your type, but… that's obviously not my decision."

For a moment all Grace can do is gape at her. Then she starts laughing helplessly. Eva pats her shoulder lightly, looking incredibly confused again. When Grace finally gets a hold of herself, she looks at her best friend. "That…" she starts, trying to figure out how to say this best, "It was…" she pauses for a moment, "I considered this our couch shaped bubble," she picks up one of the pillows smiling faintly. "But it wasn't mine and Lysander's. It was very much mine and Lorcan's though. Until our bubble kind of burst, I guess."

It's Eva's turn to gape now, Grace thinks, as she waits for her friend to regain her composure. "So let me get this straight… you were seeing Lorcan the entire time and everyone always mistook him for Lysander?"

"I don't know about the Lysander part, but… seeing him sounds like dating… which it wasn't," she looks at her hands, "But it was definitely… something. Do you remember our talk in Paris? I… was talking about him." Grace chews on her lip for a moment before she continues. "I was so happy when he kissed me," she tells her softly. "But then…" she raises her hands a little helplessly. "I don't know. Now I just want things to be the way they were. Being his friend is better than this. He won't even look at me, Evie."

"Can we backtrack here for a second?" Eva looks at her. "You mean to tell me that I was worrying about how to deal with Lorcan's broken heart for no reason?" She lets out a short laugh. "Hang on, what about at the party? The one last summer, when we were done with OWLs, Lysander complimented you and you blushed like crazy!"

"I… he was staring at me. Lorcan was staring at me. It had nothing to do with Lysander," Grace admits softly.

Eva shakes her head. "How did I not know this? Why didn't you tell me?"

"He's your brother, Evie," Grace says quietly. "I didn't want to make a big deal out of nothing, I wanted to be sure. I didn't want this to get messy, which… it did anyways, but you know…" She looks at her best friend. "And I did tell you some of it in Paris. I just… neglected to mention that I was talking about Lorcan."

"And I used to think I was well informed when it came to both of your love lives…" Eva shakes her head disbelievingly. "Right, I am so giving him an earful because all this is doing is making both of you upset."

"No," Grace takes her hand. "Please… if you talk to him he'll feel like he has to come here and I don't want that." She makes Eva look at her. "You can't tell, it doesn't matter now anyways, and I'd rather he doesn't have to deal with all the gossip and people pointing fingers."

"Who has been pointing fingers?" Eva looks around them angrily. "It's none of their business! If I managed not to stick my nose in until now, then they should too!"

"No one has been pointing fingers," Grace tries to reassure her. "I swear."

Eva leans back into the couch again and doesn't say anything for a while. "So you and Lorcan, huh?"

Grace shrugs, "I don't know. We've barely spoken for a month, Evie." She tries to hide the fact that saying that out loud makes her heart feel like it's being trampled on (again), but really, she needn't have bothered. It's Eva. She knows her inside and out.

"Come here, Gracie," she says softly and Grace gladly lets herself fall into Eva's arms.


	40. Thursday, December 1st 2022

**Dislaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's Note:** Well, that took a while, but here we are now in December!

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Nine**

 **Thursday, December 1** **st** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace finds herself staring from the moment he enters the common room. He looks nervous. And he's trying to make himself appear smaller than he is like he doesn't want to draw attention. It doesn't work. At least it doesn't work where she is concerned and she isn't sure about everyone else, because somehow her world has narrowed down to him walking across the common room toward her. It takes him far longer than it used to. And Grace is both glad for it and not, because it gives her time to try and reign in the sudden rising panic (because what is she supposed to _do_?), but the longer he takes the harder it is not to get up and leave. It surprises her, this sudden urge to get out, because didn't she spend a month waiting right here just in case he did show up? Her nails dig into her palms as she tries to find an answer to the question of what she's supposed to do.

"Hey," he says quietly, when he finally, finally reaches her. "Can I err… sit?" She just nods and he takes a seat (so far away, since when does he sit that far away?). They sit in silence as he takes one of the pillows and stares at it for a while. "How are you?" he still isn't looking at her.

Staring at doors and trying not to cry. Moping and mad at myself because I never wanted to be that girl that wallows in self-pity over nothing. But we weren't nothing, were we? We were something and something could have been beautiful but now it's kind of broken.

"Alright," she says. "You?"

"About the same." Once again there is silence but it's so very different from the Thursday before the party, filled with so many things that should probably be said but won't, because she's scared. She's scared of what will happen if she says them out loud, scared of losing him again, because maybe it is just her after all. Why would he disappear after kissing her if he liked her? She resigns herself to letting go of their possibility of something beautiful once again. And just the fact that she does that twice a day should tell her that she really isn't ready to give up on it, but she's rather good at ignoring the things she doesn't want to think about. Friends is good, she tells herself. Friends is safe, friends will have to be enough.

"I'm sorry," his voice jolts her out of her thoughts. He has turned around to face her and she just stares at him for a few seconds.

"I… it's alright," she tries to smile at him, but she doesn't think it's convincing.

"It's not alright," he leans forward and she almost forgets to breathe because she didn't remember what it was like to be the focus of his attention and she's no longer used to it. "I…" he looks at her nervous and seemingly at a loss for words, dejected and still ever so slightly hopeful and she knows then that she is falling. Falling fast and falling hard, and really, she's probably been falling for a long time.

"It will be," she says softly. "Won't it?" She's probably looking just as nervous and dejected and ever so slightly hopeful as he is and a small, barely there smile appears on his face.

"I won't let it not be," he promises her quietly as he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.


	41. Thursday, December 8th 2022

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR.**

 **Author's Note: I'm done with exams, so I will try for more regular updates again :) Also thank you to everyone who favorited and follows this story :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Forty**

 **Thursday, December 8** **th** **2022**

 **Ravenclaw Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

"I think Ashlyn and Leigh are doing better," Grace smiles slightly.

"Really? That's good, I was getting worried," he looks relieved and she touches his hand to reassure him before she can stop herself.

"They seem fine," she says, pulling her hand away. "I saw them out on the grounds the other day. And I talked to Ashlyn and she's a lot happier, so…" she trails off.

Lorcan smiles a little sadly and grabs one of the pillows. He's holding it so tightly that his knuckles turn white. "How are your applications coming along?"

She looks at him a little surprised. Trust him to remember what she had talked about for hours on end roughly a year ago, but stopped mentioning almost completely once she had started focusing on OWLs. "Alright, I guess… I have my essays done and Professor Flitwick agreed to write me a letter of recommendation and so did Professor Blanchard and I'm hoping Professor Strauss will as well, which would be enough for Saint Mungo's. But the American program… they want five letters of recommendation, and I'm not sure who to ask, but I want to at least apply, because they have the best research scholarship for healing you can get."

"You should ask Professor Vector," he suggests and she frowns slightly.

"You know Arithmancy was never my strongest subject," she tells him.

"And you still got an O," he completely ignores her objection ("Barely.") and keeps on talking, "That shows determination. And they'll be looking for people that won't drop out halfway through, don't you think?"

She contemplates his words for a long moment, before she nods. "Professor Vector then… I'm still one short, though…"

"Longbottom?" he finally lets go off the pillow. "It can't hurt to let them know that you understand the properties of magical plants when applying for a research scholarship where those things are probably useful." He pauses. "Which… which one are you hoping for?"

"You know I've always wanted to go into research," she replies slowly. "So America would be pretty great."

"Oh…" he looks at his hands and she bites her lip because maybe she shouldn't have said that. "That's… that's really far away." Grace just nods, still biting her lip. "I hadn't… realized," he lets out a short laugh, but he doesn't sound happy or amused in the slightest.

"Hmmm," she looks at her hands as well.

It's strange, Grace thinks. The strangest thing. He has stopped avoiding her and started meeting her eyes again more often than not, they sit together in class and they're _okay_. But they're also really not, because there's so much left unspoken, so much that neither of them dares bring up and it fills their silences that are no longer comfortable. She wonders sometimes why they won't just let go, but when he sits next to her (even caught up in awkward silences like right now) she knows the reason. It's because she at least can't bear to let this end, even if it's awkward and stilted and sometimes it still hurts when he is suddenly refusing to look at her again.

He isn't right now, though, as he holds out her copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard almost like a peace offering and she smiles her first real smile of the evening.

* * *

Please leave a review :)


	42. Saturday, December 10th 2022

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its related works.**

 **Author's Note:** I don't have much to say actually, except that updates twice a week might become the new schedule. What do you guys think? Also, yay for Eva! (I love Eva tbh)

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-One**

 **Saturday, December 10** **th** **2022**

 **Hallway in front of the Gryffindor Common Room, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Lorcan is knocking on the edge of the Fat Lady's portrait. He's sure he looks a little out of it, but right now he doesn't care. It takes at least five minutes that feel like eternity until someone opens the door. It's Matthew. Of course, her cousin would be the one to open the door.

"I'm guessing you're looking for your sister?" he asks, and when Lorcan nods, he turns slightly. "Oi, Eva! For you!"

Thankfully, Eva appears behind Matthew rather quickly and only has to take one look at him, before she's out in the hallway and dragging him off to an empty classroom. When they're there, she lets go of his arm and sits on one of the tables. "Out with it, Lorc."

"I…" he stares at the wall for a moment before turning to her. "I am so screwed, Evie," he whispers. "We talked about her applications and she wants to go to freakin' America and… and if I look at her for too long all I can think about is kissing her and I don't think I'm allowed casual touches right now, but my hands didn't get the memo and…" he looks at his sister helplessly, "I don't know what to do."

"Have you tried this little thing called talking?" Eva crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow at him.

"I… no. Evie, I don't want to ruin everything again. I mean… I ruined it once by kissing her, and I just… I just really don't want to lose her." He runs a hand through his hair as he starts pacing.

"No," Eva says firmly. "You ruined it, if you want to put it that way, by pulling your little disappearing act. I talked to Louisa. Gracie was sitting there waiting for an entire month. Hell, I was there. I saw her. She was a mess. But not because you kissed her. She was a mess because you were avoiding her. Did you think at all about how that would affect her before you did it?"

"I… I didn't think she would want to see me," he admits in a small voice.

Eva looks at him for a long moment. "Did you ever hear the rumors about Grace and Lysander?" He nods slowly and she continues, "Good. Because there's a whole lot of truth in them." His face falls and he can feel his heart sink, but she keeps on talking without giving him a chance to reply. "The people that started those rumors might have mistaken you for him the entire time, but what they said about this non-dating, but kind of dating thing you two had going, was most definitely there. Wasn't it?"

"I didn't think, she…"

Eva hops off the table and stands in front of him. "Lorcan, you should really stop making assumptions about how she feels and start talking to the girl. Because I don't want to watch you two break each other's heart. I really don't." She shoulders past him, but turns around when she's standing in the door. "Also if you mess this up, I will break your face."


	43. Thursday, December 15th 2022

**Disclaimer: Still not JKR.**

 **Author's Note:** I meant to post this yesterday, but oh well... today's not bad, right? :) Please leave a review :)

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Three**

 **Thursday, December 15** **th** **2022**

 **Empty classroom, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Grace looks around, there are at least fifteen people. She isn't sure why all of them are here, but she knows it was Eva's idea. She looks at her friend. "So… care to explain this?"

Eva just grins at her and skips up front. She hops onto the teacher's desk and sits down. "Alright everyone!" She spreads her arms. "I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you all here, yes? Well, the lovely Grace, my two obnoxious brothers and I have been doing Secret Santa for a couple of years now, but… let's just say it gets boring, because everyone always knows who their Secret Santa present is from," she sighs dramatically and everyone laughs. "So this year, I've decided to spice things up a bit by inviting all of you to join us." She looks around. "Any questions?"

"Yes, what on earth is a Secret Santa?" Jason asks, his eyebrows raised.

Eva laughs. "Well, Jason, it's quite simple really." She conjures a hat and a few slips of parchment that she pushes into a disordered pile on the table. "On these wonderful pieces of parchment I've written each of our names. Every name just once, obviously." She holds one up for everyone to see. "Like here we have Matt." She grins at Grace's cousin and he laughs. Grace shakes her head at Eva's excitement, but she's smiling. "I'm going to put all of these," she points her wand at the pile, "in here," and levitates them into the hat. "And then everyone's going to draw one slip of parchment. You don't tell anyone who it is. That's important, please don't tell. And the person whose name is on there is the person you're getting a gift. I was thinking we could exchange gifts on… the 31st? You'd all be there anyways for our birthday party and then you can just come over before everyone else and we could do it then."

"Eva?" Rosa calls out as said girl prepares to start going around to let people draw names. "What happens if we get our own names?"

"Good question," Eva grins at her. "If someone draws their own name, you're all going to put yours back in and draw again." She looks around. "Alright then… Zoe, you're first!"

Grace leans against one of the tables as she watches Eva go around the room. Everyone seems excited and Eva invited what feels like half their year group, but Grace has to admit that she picked well. Zoe has found a quiet corner to look at her slip of parchment, Molly and Colin are shoving Meredith and Quentin towards the hat to draw out names, while Rosa and Caitlin are looking on in amusement. Caitlin is leaning against Oliver who is listening to Matt explain Secret Santa to Jason in more detail. Noah sits on a chair grinning as Louisa and Carla speculate about whose name they'll get. And on the far side of the room, Archie gesticulates wildly as he speaks and Lysander grins the way he does when he's indulging someone. Lorcan is leaning against the wall next to his brother, but he doesn't appear to be listening. Instead, he catches Grace's eyes across the room and smiles at her before Eva waves the hat in front of his face so he'll draw a name. Grace watches her best friend practically dance her way over after Archie and Lysander have drawn their names and smiles as Eva comes to a stop in front of her.

"Can we talk later?" Eva asks as Grace pulls out a slip of parchment.

"Sure," Grace unfolds the parchment. _Lorcan_ , it says in Eva's tiny handwriting.

"Perfect," and then Eva is off again holding out the hat to the others until finally, she draws the last piece of parchment with a flourish and starts laughing as soon as she unfolds it. "Everyone get back here, I got myself."

Several people groan as everyone throws the names they got back into the hat. "I had the perfect present, too," Quentin complains.

"Well, tough luck," Eva grins at him. "I'm not running around this time, you can all get in line." She holds out the hat to Quentin and everyone else falls in line behind him. Grace is last, but she really can't bring herself to mind. Instead, she watches the others as they draw their names out of the hat.

Quentin sighs when he unfolds his piece of parchment. "I liked the last one better," he tells her as Rosa shoves him aside gently and reaches into the hat with a grin. Zoe is the third person to draw a name this time, followed by Carla, Oliver and Lorcan, who raises an eyebrow at Eva when he sees the name on his parchment. She just grins innocently and pushes him aside, to hold out the hat to Colin. After Colin it's Matt's turn and just when Archie is about to reach for a slip of parchment, Grace's cousin declares, "We need to go again." And then he holds up the slip with his own name on it for everyone to see.

The protests are louder this time as those that had already drawn a name out of the hat return their slips of parchment. "This better be the last time," Oliver crosses his arms, but he's grinning slightly.

"It's not my fault you guys made it impossible for me to draw anything but my own name," Eva laughs, "And Matt should have known better."

Matt rolls his eyes at her. "I'm going first this time," he declares and then does just that. Slowly everyone draws out a name. It's Grace's turn somewhere in the middle of the group and once again it says _Lorcan_ on her slip of parchment. She looks at Eva for a moment, but twice could be coincidence. Maybe. But when Eva catches her looking and grins innocently, Grace is sure that it's very much not a coincidence. She takes a seat on one of the tables and watches the others draw their slips of parchment from the hat once again. This time it works out. Or someone decided to get themselves a gift, she thinks with a grin.

As everyone trickles out, Grace stays sitting on the tables. Molly stops for a moment to smile at her. She looks like she's about to say something, but then seemingly changes her mind because she leaves without another word. For a moment, Grace wonders what Molly wanted to talk about, but then Lorcan leans against her table and looks at her like he's trying to memorize her face and Grace finds herself staring back, not quite sure what she's supposed to do.

"Are you still curious about that song?" he asks finally, and it's all she can do to nod. "I'll write down the lyrics for you." He pushes of the desk and touches her cheek lightly. "Good night, Gracie."

It takes her a moment to reply and when she does he's already halfway to the door. "Good night." She watches him leave and keeps looking at the door even when he's already gone.

"You two," Eva says suddenly and Grace's head whips around, "really need to talk."

Grace nods. "Speaking of… what did you want to talk about?"

"That, basically," Eva grins, but then her face turns serious. "Please, Gracie."

Grace chews on her lip, but she nods after a few moments. "Alright." She hops off the table and looks at her friend. "Did you rig the draw?"

Eva gasps as if she is offended, but Grace can see her eyes sparkle. "I would never do such a thing." Then, she links their arms and the two of them leave the room.


	44. Thursday, December 22nd 2022

**Disclaimer: Not JKR...**

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Three**

 **Thursday, December 22nd 2022**

 **Kendall Home, Barnton, Cheshire, England**

Grace looks at the sheet of parchment in front of her. She has absolutely no idea what to write. They haven't yet managed to have their conversation, and this is not the kind of thing you say in a letter. It really, truly isn't. Besides, what is she supposed to say anyways? No, that's the wrong question. What does she want to say? Too much and nothing at all at the same time, she thinks. She rubs her eyes and sighs. Maybe another try… she crumples up the parchment and throws it in the bin, before staring at a new blank sheet.

It doesn't help.

If anything, it makes it worse, she thinks as she gets up with another heavy sigh and walks over to the bed to let herself fall onto it. She's good with words usually, but right now they don't seem to want to cooperate. It's silly, but she almost wants to be angry at the words for deserting her.

A soft knock on the door interrupts her thoughts. "Come in," she calls and sits up. The door swings open slowly and reveals Lorcan. He looks hesitant and stays standing in the doorframe until she smiles at him. "Hey."

"Hi," he steps forward carefully, almost as if he expects her to tell him to leave. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she leans against the headboard and motions to the bed. "Sit?" He sits down on the edge of the bed and neither of them says anything for a while.

"What's a window glancing mood?" He turns to her. "If you know that is… I met Granny downstairs and she looked at me and told me I was in a window glancing mood. Only I'm not sure what she means by that, because I haven't actually paid much attention to windows today."

I have, Grace thinks, before she turns her attention to formulating her answer. "I think what she means by that is… a kind of longing, waiting, hopeful mood. Like when you're looking out of every window because you're waiting for an owl."

"That… makes a lot of sense, actually," Lorcan says slowly. "It also sounds very much like Granny." He smiles crookedly and Grace laughs.

"It does, doesn't it?" She watches him as he lies down on her bed and somehow they're okay, they're comfortable. At least for now. Thank the heavens for Granny. "How has your break been?"

"Pretty good," he looks up at her for once as he speaks. "Evie's on my case about…" he hesitates for a moment, "something. But other than that it's really nothing special."

Grace wants to ask him about "something" for a few impulsive moments, but then she reigns herself in, because asking would probably break this fragile little thing they've managed and she doesn't want that. "What do you want for your birthday?" she asks instead.

"Surprise me," he grins at her.

She rolls her eyes. "Right, because that's so helpful. Really, Lorc, what do you want for your birthday? I've got something for Evie and something for Lysander, but you're giving me almost as much trouble as my secret Santa present." And isn't that ironic, because both of those presents are for him?

He laughs, "I'm fine with whatever you come up with, Gracie. You're good at presents."

"I'm terrible at presents," she argues. "Horrific."

"You're really not," Lorcan rolls onto his stomach and smiles up at her. "You just like to agonize about them for ages and then come up with something just perfect anyways."

She ducks her head, but she's smiling as well. "Flatterer."

"It's not flattery if it's the truth," he says simply.

Grace laughs. "And a smooth talker, too."

"I do my best," he grins at her.

"You know who else said that the other day?" she wraps a strand of hair around her finger. "Tim. After he set fire to the kitchen."

"How on earth did he do that? Aren't there like… fire safety charms all over the place in the kitchen?" Lorcan asks disbelievingly.

"I have no idea how he managed. He had some stupid idea about baked ice cream. It's like last year when he was convinced trying out his new broom in Diagon Alley was a good idea and broke some poor girl's wrist," she shakes her head. "Can you believe that he's technically eighteen? Almost nineteen, actually." She sighs. "How does he even survive? I mean… does he regularly burn down his kitchen or does he just live off take-out?"

"Probably take-out," he laughs. "I mean… if it weren't for Mum and the house elves, Dad would too. Have you ever seen him in a kitchen? He's hopeless."

"I've never even imagined your father in the kitchen," she grins. "Any kitchen. It just… it doesn't work. At all." She looks at him thoughtfully, "You know, I also can't imagine Scorpius in the kitchen."

"That's because he could burn water without even turning on the stove. He's just that talented," he looks completely serious for a few moments, but then his lips twitch and both of them start laughing. "Leigh on the other hand can cook like… like actual magic," he adds when they've calmed down.

"Personally, I think music is the real magic," Grace says with a soft smile. "But food comes pretty close."

"Yeah… music is quite magical, isn't it?" His eyes are unreadable as he looks at her. Then with a look at the bin that is overflowing with balls of crumpled up parchment, he adds, "What were you trying to write?"

She looks at him for a long moment, before she replies. "Something."

Lorcan sits up. "Speaking of something… I…" he runs a hand through his hair. "I'm not good at this, just so you know. I… just really can't find the right words, but… well… someone else can, so…" he draws a piece of folded parchment from his pocket, "I'll let him speak for me." He gets up and puts the parchment on the bed, then he walks up to her and kisses her forehead lightly, before he walks toward the door. "It's… it's that song," he turns back around when he's standing in the doorframe. "And I don't know if you remember, but I told you once that I feel like it fit. Thing is I never told you what it fits exactly and…" he takes a deep breath, "I feel like that. All the time." And with that he's out the door.

Grace picks up the parchment and unfolds it.

 _If I told you how I feel_

 _If I told you what I hold inside_

 _If I told you only half_

 _Of the feelings that I try to hide_

 _If I told you you're my friend_

 _If I told you that it won't suffice_

 _If I told you all I ever needed_

 _If I told you it was you_

 _If I told you, you were beautiful_

 _What would you say to me?_

 _If I told you, you were beautiful_

 _What would you do?_

 _And if I told you how I feel right now_

 _Would you stay with me?_

 _Or would I be outta line?_

 _Or would I be out of line?_

 _If I told you I'm afraid_

 _If I told you I can hardly breathe_

 _If I told you all I need_

 _If I told you all I need is you_

 _If I told you in the sun_

 _And if I told you with this lovely melody_

 _If I told you all I want_

 _If I told you all I want is you_

 _If I told you, you were beautiful_

 _What would you say to me?_

 _If I told you, you were beautiful_

 _What would you do?_

 _And if I told you how I feel right now_

 _Would you stay with me?_

 _Or would I be outta line?_

 _Or would I be out of line?_

 _If I don't speak it out loud_

 _Would you even notice?_

 _If I don't speak it out loud_

 _Would it leave me hopeless?_

 _If I told you right now_

 _Would I be out of line?_

 _Out of line_

 _If I told you how I feel_

 _If I told you what I hold inside_

 _If I told you only half_

 _Of the feelings that I try to hide_

 _If I told you you're my friend_

 _If I told you that it won't suffice_

 _If I told you all I ever needed_

 _If I told you it was you_

 _If I told you, you were beautiful_

 _What would you say to me?_

 _If I told you, you were beautiful_

 _What would you do?_

 _And if I told you how I feel right now_

 _Would you stay with me?_

 _Or would I be outta line?_

 _Or would I be out of line?_

She stares at it for a few long moments after reading it and then reads it again, just to be sure. When she makes it downstairs after reading it for the third time, he is long gone, but Granny sits by the fireplace and smiles knowingly.


	45. Thursday, December 29th 2022

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Author's note:** I'd say twice a week is going to work well :) enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Four**

 **Thursday, December 29th 2022**

 **Eva's room, Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England**

The sound of silver bells rings out through the house and Grace looks up from where she's huddled underneath a mountain of blankets with her book. "What's that?"

"Hmmm?" Eva turns around. "Oh, that's the floo alarm; Mum changed it for the holidays. It's probably the boys."

"Where were they anyways?" Grace asks, wrapping the blankets more tightly around herself.

Eva rolls her eyes. "Emergency shopping. Ly honestly forgot about Secret Santa."

"He did?" Grace laughs and Eva nods, before turning her attention back to the letter she is writing.

"Some days, I can't believe him," she says as she dips her quill into the inkpot.

Grace just grins and tries to focus on her book, but she finds that she can't. "I'm going to go see if Lorcan made it to his room yet," she says as she slowly and rather regretfully leaves her blanket cocoon.

"Ooooh," Eva doesn't even look up, but Grace knows she's grinning. The shorter girl rolls her eyes and grabs her friend's robe on her way out, because despite the fact that she's wearing two sweaters already (her own and one of Eva's), she's cold.

"See you later," she says, before heading out of the room. It's even colder in the hallway and she should have put on an extra pair of socks, but she doesn't feel like going back, so she just walks along the hallway as fast as she can until she reaches Lorcan's door and knocks lightly.

"Come in," he calls.

"Are you dressed?" she calls back, cautious after last summer's encounter.

"I'm dressed." She can hear the smile in his voice and she smiles as well as she opens the door and steps inside.

"You wouldn't happen to have a sweater I can borrow?" she asks, drawing the robe around herself.

Lorcan laughs. "Are you a human ice cube again, Gracie?"

"It's not my fault this place has terrible heating," she protests as he opens his wardrobe.

"Ahh, I don't actually have any clean sweaters," he says and he turns around, looking apologetic. "This one's probably the cleanest I have." He picks a sweater off the back of a chair. "I wore it earlier, but if you don't mind that… or I could just ask Lysander."

"I don't want Lysander's sweaters," Grace holds out her hand. "Also…" and suddenly the words escape her again, but she won't let them, not this time. "That song… If I told you," she says quietly as he hands her the sweater, "it's beautiful."

They look at each other silently for a few long moments, the sweater hangs between them and neither moves. "You're beautiful," Lorcan says finally.

She smiles up at him. "You know… I tried to convince myself that being your friend is enough for a while."

"And? Is it?" he looks nervous as he asks that and she knows she's nervous when she shakes her head, but his smile turns her nerves into butterflies. They're worse than ever, but when he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear they go crazy. He frowns, though. "Gracie, you're burning up!"

"Lorcan, you ruined the moment," she retorts dryly, but she can't stop smiling.

"No really," he puts his hand on her forehead. "I think you have a fever."

"Don't be ridiculous," she wants to shake her head, but she doesn't because his hand still lingers on her forehead. "I'm freezing."

"You have a fever," he insists as he drops his hand. "Do you want me to go get Mum?"

She smiles slightly and puts on the sweater. "If it makes you feel better. I'll just be over there," she points to his bed and promptly walks over to it to wrap herself in his blanket. He hesitates for a moment, but then he's out the door presumably off to get Luna. Grace just lets herself fall onto the bed inelegantly, because she's wrapped in the blanket so tightly that she can't actually walk. She wiggles until she's comfortable and then waits. She isn't sure how long it takes but Lorcan returns with Luna in tow and the blonde woman walks over to the bed and sits down at the edge of it.

"Am I allowed to see what has my son so worked up?" she asks with a smile.

Grace rolls her eyes. "He's over-reacting, I swear. I'm just cold."

"How about I'll be the judge of that?" Luna smiles and her cool palm rests on Grace's forehead briefly. "I rather believe that he's right about the fever, dear. I'll call Coral. For now, you stay in bed, alright?"

"I'm fine," Grace protests as Luna rises and walks to the door where Lorcan is waiting anxiously.

"I'm sure," Luna touches her son's elbow on the way out. "I'm still calling your mother." And with that, she leaves. Lorcan takes the place she vacated without any prompting and Grace smiles up at him.

"You look worried," she says.

"I am worried," he leans against the headboard.

"It's just a fever," she smiles reassuringly and he brushes a strand of hair out of her face. "That you ruined the wonderful moment we were having over."

He laughs and starts carding his fingers through her hair. "Sorry?"

"You should be," she leans into his touch. "I meant it, you know. I can't go back to being just friends. And I really don't want to."

"Me neither," he says softly. Then, he chuckles. "Sweet Merlin, do you have any idea for how long I've wanted to tell you that?"

Grace smiles. "How long?"

"Over a year," he bites his lip and looks at her cautiously.

"Over a…" she probably looks a little ridiculous, with her mouth forming a little o, but she can't quite seem to close it. "Why didn't you?" she asks after the silence has stretched on for a while.

He raises an eyebrow at her. "If I had come up to you in autumn of last year, or last winter or even last spring and told you, would you have reacted like this?"

She pauses. "No, probably not," she admits finally. Then she tilts her head to the side. "Wait weren't you still dating Anabell in October of last year?"

He doesn't look at her when he replies. "I was staring at you all the time. It really wasn't fair to her."

"You weren't staring at me. I would have noticed," Grace adjusts her cocoon.

"But you didn't," he smiles slightly. "Evie noticed, Molly noticed, Quentin might have, but you… you didn't. I was rather glad for it." He laughs lightly and she smiles.

"So when you came to bring me sandwiches… were you hoping for this?"

Lorcan shakes his head. "No… I figured you'd eat and we'd awkwardly try to make conversation for a little and then I'd leave. I never thought… I'm glad though."

"Me too," she frees one of her hands from her cocoon and grabs the hand that is not in her hair. He intertwines their fingers with a soft smile and she's a little bit amazed at how tiny her hand feels in his. They just look at each other silently, holding hands and smiling a bit stupidly, until the door opens.

"Hey, Gracie. Your mum's downstairs," Eva sticks her head in and smiles widely when she looks at them. "Finally. You're going home, though."

Grace nods. "Just give me a moment to un-cocoon myself."

"I'll carry you," Lorcan offers quietly, so quietly that Grace is sure Eva wasn't able to hear.

"Would you?" she smiles widely and instead of replying he just picks her up and starts walking. Grace holds on around his neck and leans her head against his shoulder. She hears him speak to Eva, but she doesn't quite catch what he's saying as she closes her eyes and drifts off before they even reach the stairs.


	46. Saturday, December 31st 2022- Eva

**Disclaimer: Since I'm not JKR, I don't own Harry Potter or its related works.**

 **Author's Note:** I present to you all: A look inside the mind of Eva Malfoy! (also known as Chapter 45)

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Five**

 **Saturday, December 31st 2022**

 **Kendall Home, Barnton, Cheshire, England**

Eva steps out of the fireplace and looks around. There's no one around, but she can hear the sounds of people throughout the house as she heads up the stairs and toward Grace's room. She pushes open the door without knocking, because they stopped bothering with that years ago and walks into the room grinning. "How is my favorite sick friend?" There's no reply, because the room is surprisingly empty. "Gracie?" she looks around for a moment, before turning around and leaving the room. Just when she's standing in the hallway, contemplating where Grace might be, Coral comes out of her office.

"Eva," Coral smiles and Eva will never get over the fact that she and her elder daughter look so alike. Granny probably looked like that too, before her hair turned white.

"Hey Coral," Eva smiles. "You wouldn't happen to know where Grace is?"

Coral laughs. "She's in the kitchen. She declared herself healthy this morning and has been baking ever since." She shakes her head slightly. "Maybe you can get her to at least sit down."

Eva chuckles quietly. "I can try," she says before she goes down the stairs and opens the door to the kitchen.

It's a mess. The counter is covered in flour, there are smears of something red on the table, on top of those is a bowl filled with what seems to be cupcake parts. Precariously stacked on top of each other next to the bowl are at least two dozen holed out cupcakes. In the middle of all that stands Grace, her hair is falling out of its bun, and she's holding another bowl above a pot filled with water whisking its contents as if her life depends on it.

"Gracie?" Eva tries and her friend is so startled that she squeals and almost drops the bowl she's holding.

"Eva!" Grace puts the bowl on the counter and looks at it closely, before drawing her wand and pointing it at the egg whisk that starts up working on its own. Eva shakes her head slightly.

"You know that Leigh's in charge of cake, right?" she asks, wrapping her arms around Grace and resting her cheek on her head.

"I know, but… I wanted to do this," she feels Grace relax against her. "Besides, it's cupcakes not cake."

Eva laughs into her friend's hair. "We have three different types of cupcakes cooling in the kitchen already and it's not even noon. None of them are quite as mangled as that, though."

"They're not mangled!" Grace protests, "They're supposed to be that way, because of the raspberry filling."

"Raspberry filling," Eva repeats with a laugh. "Goodness gracious, Gracie! You're a little bit in love with him, aren't you?" She can tell Grace is blushing scarlet without looking at her and ignores the gentle swat at her arm easily. When the shorter girl extracts herself from the embrace and busies herself with adding butter to her mixture, Eva watches in amusement, because Grace is still quite obviously embarrassed. "How much longer are these going to take?"

The brunette shrugs. "An hour maybe. Why?"

"Well, I was just going to see if you were up for the party, but since you're out of bed and moving and turning the kitchen into a disaster… we have plans."

"Plans?" Grace washes her hands and turns to face her. Eva grins.

"Oh yes. Plans."

"What kind of plans?" she looks hesitant. Eva thinks that it's probably because of her grin. Oh well.

"The kind where I get to dress you up," she replies, as her friend returns to her baking. "Call it my birthday wish."

"Your birthday's not until tomorrow," Grace points out, most of her attention is still quite obviously on whatever she's working on. She doesn't quite look happy with it.

"Oh, come on, Gracie," she's whining, she knows she is, but she really doesn't care. "I just want to see you blush and know it's because of Lorcan. I just… I can see him getting flustered already." It's a thought that amuses and excites her in equal parts.

"What would you have me wear?" her best friend turns around, an eyebrow raised. Eva grins, because they've reached the negotiating part of this already. Either Grace likes that thought as well, or the words birthday wish work wonders, despite the fact that her birthday (like Lorcan's and unlike Lysander's) isn't until tomorrow.

"A dress," Eva says.

"Too cold," Grace protests immediately before pointing her wand at the bowl and muttering a cooling charm.

"You can have boots," the blonde tries, but all she gets in reply is a shake of her friend's head.

"I know your dresses and I know my dresses and they're all summer dresses. I also know that it probably hasn't gotten warmer at yours in the last two days, so no, Evie. No dress."

Eva sighs. "Skirt and as many layers of tights as you want?"

"Boots still stand?"

"Yes," she's sure Grace is probably pursing her lips thoughtfully as she grabs a bowl from the counter and starts pouring chocolate into what Eva now identifies as buttercream. It takes her friend a moment to reply, most likely because she's focusing on her baking.

"I want the red sweater," Grace says finally.

"Absolutely not!" The red sweater is one of Grace's favorites, but personally, Eva considers it rather horrible. "The pattern is disgusting."

"It's Christmas-y," she's pouting, of course she's pouting. The blonde studies the cupcakes instead of her friend, because she can't give in. Not when it comes to the sweater.

"What about the blue one?" she tries.

"The blue one isn't as warm," Grace replies. "Hand me the raspberries?"

"There are no raspberries here, Gracie. Just red smears on the table."

"They're in the fridge."

"You could have a scarf," Eva offers when she opens the fridge. "Or what about Lorcan's sweater? You still have that, don't you?"

"Both?" Grace turns around and Eva hands her friend a bowl filled with a red mess that probably used to be raspberries. "Thanks."

"I think we have a deal," she grins. "Now you finish baking. I'll be in your room."

"No red lipstick!" Grace calls after her retreating back, but Eva just laughs. She already has plans and they don't involve red lipstick, even though she has to admit that would be something.


	47. Saturday, December 31st 2022- Lorcan I

**Disclaimer: I am not JKRowling.  
**

 **Author's Note:** So I discovered that I hadn't actually updated at all this week yet! BUT if I'm not mistaken, this chapter is the longest yet, so yay for that! It's actually the first part of what was originally one very long chapter that I split into three parts, for several reasons. Anyways, I will hopefully be able to update soon and until then have a great week(end)!

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Six**

 **Saturday, December 31st 2022**

 **Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England**

The floo alarm goes off and Lorcan looks up just in time to see Molly step out. He puts his book aside and gets up off the couch to greet her.

"Lorcan!" Molly throws her arms around him, smiling widely. "Am I late?"

He laughs and hugs her back lightly. "Not at all. You're early, actually."

"But we did say five pm, didn't we?" she looks around for a clock and he turns her around so she can see the one above the fireplace.

"It's a quarter to five, Molls."

"Oh…" she turns back around. "Oops?"

"No worries," Lorcan smiles at her. "As you can tell I, as the designated welcoming committee, am early too. And before I forget," he points to a box by the door, "Secret Santa present in there."

She walks over to the box and puts her present inside. "So where's everyone else?"

"Lysander's in his room, in case you were asking about him," he grins lightly.

Molly rolls her eyes. "Haha," she says dryly. "What about the others?"

"Leigh's still baking, I'm not sure how many people she thinks are coming. Scorpius is at the Potter's, trying to escape the general crazy of preparations," he shrugs, "Dad's in his study, also avoiding the preparations and Mum's right in the middle of those, because someone needs to organize everything. And Eva went to check up on Grace this morning to see if she'd come to the party and hasn't been back since."

"Why wouldn't she come?" the redhead frowns.

"She had a fever on Thursday and slept through most of yesterday," Lorcan replies. "She might still be sick."

"You look worried," Molly comments and he just looks at her silently for a moment, because Grace said exactly that on Thursday.

"Do I?" he asks finally, his voice quiet. "I thought I had it under control." His smile is a little self-depreciating and Molly's frown deepens.

"Lorcan…" she starts, but whatever she was about to say, he won't hear it, because the floo alarm goes off a second time and Lorcan forces a cheerful smile back onto his face.

"Carla," he says as she steps out of the fire place, secretly relieved that it isn't Quentin, because his presence would have furthered Molly's questioning and he's not quite ready for questions.

"Hey," Carla smiles widely, but her eyes flicker to Molly for a brief moment and Lorcan thinks she probably isn't sure who he is. Either that or Molly is still frowning.

"Secret Santa present in the box," he tells Carla, before glancing at Molly. She's smiling. In fact, she practically skips her way over to Carla, so it's probably the first option. The girls hug lightly and exchange a few whispered words, before Carla drops her present into the box.

Lorcan glances at the clock above the fireplace again. Ten minutes to five. "I should stay here and wait for the others, but maybe you two could go and get Lysander?"

"Sure," Molly smiles. "Which way to the family wing again?

"Out the door, down the hall past the ballroom, left into the entrance hall and up the stairs. It's pretty hard to miss once you're on the first floor, there are only two doors that big and if you're on the ballroom balcony you picked the wrong one," he's trying to illustrate his directions with his hands, but he isn't sure it's helping. "And when you're in the family wing you just go straight ahead until you're almost at the end of the hallway, the door on the left is Ly's room."

Molly and Carla look at each other for a long moment. Then they turn back to face him. "If we get lost I'm blaming your terrible directions," Molly says as she pulls Carla out of the room.

"They're not terrible!" Lorcan protests, "And remember to tell him Happy Birthday or he'll be pouting all night!" He isn't sure if they heard him, but he's not going to run after them, just to save Lysander's mood. He sits back down and settles in to wait. Apart from Molly and Carla their friends will probably be more on the late side, except perhaps Rosa who has the uncanny ability to always be exactly on time.

It is indeed Rosa who steps out of the fireplace next, rather less gracefully than the two who came before her and at precisely five o'clock. "Hi," she smiles at him, looking a bit unsure and he thinks that Eva should have been the welcoming committee, because that would take care of this awkward moment in which they wonder whether he is Lysander and they should wish him a Happy Birthday or not rather nicely. But since Eva is not home, he simply returns her smile.

"Hey Rosa. Secret Santa present in the box please." And he should really just put that on a sign, because he's said it three times and it's already becoming redundant. She does as she's told and then stands by the door, looking a little bit uncertain.

"Have a seat," he offers, motioning to the couches. "Molly and Carla are just getting Lysander, they should be back in a bit… unless they got lost that is. And everyone else is probably going to be late."

Rosa laughs and glances at his book as she sits down. "What were you reading?"

"Narcissus and Goldmund," Lorcan replies.

"I love that book!" she exclaims and suddenly the two of them are discussing their favorite parts of the novel. When the floo alarm goes off for the fourth time, Lorcan simply offers Jason a smile and conjures the sign above the box for the Secret Santa presents while he continues to listen to Rosa. Just as the sound of tinkling silver bells rings out through the house a fifth time, Lysander returns with Carla and Molly in tow and Caitlin and Oliver step out of the fireplace. And then, as if by some secret signal, they all start arriving. Noah stumbles out just seconds ahead of Louisa, Matt almost drops the bag containing his Secret Santa presents when Colin bumps into him and the two have only just gotten themselves sorted out when the flames turn green once again to reveal Zoe, who greets Lysander with a kiss. Matt wolf-whistles and all eyes turn to them for a moment.

"Do you expect me to kiss you as well?" comes Archie's voice from the fireplace and everyone laughs, but there's something in his eyes that makes Lorcan think he's missing something here.

"I expect you to move, you're blocking the exit," Quentin shoves Archie aside good-naturedly and steps into the room. A minute later he is followed by Meredith and as she puts her present in the box, Lorcan sees Lysander doing a headcount. He doesn't have to. He knows everyone but Eva and Grace is here and he wonders what's keeping Eva from letting him know whether Grace will come like she promised to do just before she left this morning.

"That's everyone," Lysander proclaims.

"Hang on, what about Evie and Grace?" Lorcan interrupts.

"They flooed in through grandma's sitting room, I think. I heard them arguing about red lipstick earlier," his older brother shakes his head. "Anyways, we were thinking we should do this in the family sitting room, because it's cozier and…"

Lorcan stops listening to him, he grabs his book and gets up. If they were arguing about lipstick, Grace is probably better, but he'd still like to see for himself. Luckily, Lysander is done talking and leads the way out of the floo room, toward the entrance hall and then up the stairs to the second floor. Lorcan is walking somewhere at the back of the group, carrying the box of presents.

Quentin and Molly drop back to walk with him. "So, Lorc," Quentin starts.

"About earlier," Molly looks at him.

"Can we not talk about this right now?" he asks. "Please."

They study him for a few moments and then exchange a long look, before they relent. "Alright," Molly says and Quentin nods.

"But we will talk," he adds.

"Just… give me a few days, yes?" Lorcan looks at them as they enter the family wing.

"Fine," Quentin says. "But no more than a week."

Lorcan rolls his eyes, but he nods. Somewhere ahead of them, Lysander opens the door to the sitting room and Lorcan's attention is drawn away from the conversation by a voice.

"Happy Birthday, Ly," Grace sounds like she's smiling.

"Why, thank you, Gracie."

There's a small commotion. Lysander laughs and Eva chimes in as Grace protests, "Put me down!"

"But you're cute when you get all annoyed." Lorcan is really trying very hard to pretend he's not picking up the pace as they head for the sitting room, but he's probably failing.

"Oh, go flirt with someone else, Ly." He can see her now, she's shaking her head in exasperation, but she's also smiling fondly as she sidesteps his brother's attempt to pick her up again. She's wearing his sweater. It's too big on her, far too big. It's threatening to slip off her shoulder, the sleeves are too long, the edge of her skirt is just barely visible underneath the sweater's hem, and he loves it. He's undoubtedly staring a bit too much and when she turns slightly and catches him, she blushes. It makes him smile, knowing for a fact that it's because of him, and he doesn't even register Molly's quiet comment or Quentin's reply.

Grace walks towards him and grasps the box in his hands. "It's my turn to hand out presents," she says, their fingertips are touching just barely and for a moment they linger like that, standing in the doorway both of them holding the box of presents.

"How are you?" he asks her quietly as Molly and Quentin squeeze past them into the room.

"Better," she replies just as quietly and he reluctantly lets go of the box. "You don't have to worry," she adds and his lips twitch.

"You know that won't stop me, right?"

"I know," and then she raises herself onto her tiptoes and kisses his cheek before she walks back into the room and sets the box down in the middle of the loose circle their friends have formed. He stands there for a moment longer, watches her add two more presents, feels the smile steal its way onto his face, but doesn't stop it. Why would he?

Eva waves him over and Lorcan sits on the floor in front of her, leans against the couch she is sitting on and looks around. Lysander and Zoe share the armchair to his right, next to the fireplace. Meredith is curled up in a corner of the couch on the other side of the flames and Molly leans against her, Quentin sits in front of them on a throw pillow, his head on Molly's knee as the three of them and Colin, who sits on Molly's other side have a hushed conversation. The spot next to Colin is occupied by Jason, who is watching Archie a bit apprehensively, probably because the way Archie is perched on the armrest next to Jason looks rather precarious. Archie doesn't appear to care though, he looks at Noah who is telling them about something. From the snippets of conversation Lorcan hears, it has something to do with his sister. As always when he's talking about her, Noah unconsciously starts to sign along with his words and Louisa is watching his hands from her place on the armchair behind him absolutely enraptured. Carla, balancing on the armrest closer to Archie and Jason, isn't quite paying attention to the two of them. Instead she is looking at Archie curiously and Lorcan turns his attention to him just in time to see Archie's eyes flicker over to Zoe and Lysander. There's something in his eyes and Lorcan finds himself wondering about what it could possibly be for a moment, but then Matt loudly plunks a chair down in the gap between Louisa's armchair and the second couch, the one that Eva shares with Rosa, Caitlin and Oliver, and sits down just as Eva speaks up. "Alright everyone. I don't know about you, but there's a box full of presents and I'm curious."

Grace laughs from her spot by the box and his eyes are drawn to her instantly. "We figured we'd do this kind of like we all drew the names in the first place. So…" she looks around. "Evie, where's the hat?"

"Ummm…" Lorcan can hear Eva rummage around behind him, but he doesn't turn. "Here it is!"

"Well, since you have the hat how about you go first?"

"Okay, let's see," there is the sound of rustling parchment and then Eva proclaims, "Jason."

Grace goes through the box of presents until she finds the right one. Then, she gets up and hands it to Jason. As he tears into it, Carla pulls Grace to her side and leans her head on her shoulder. She's just standing there, she's not even doing anything and still he can't stop looking at her. Until Jason, staring at his present, exclaims, "What on earth _is_ that?" Lorcan turns to look at him and finds himself silently echoing the sentiment.

Noah laughs. "It's a lava lamp," he says.

"A what?" Jason's expression is still absolutely bewildered.

"A lava lamp," Oliver repeats, also laughing.

"And who got me a… lava lamp?" Jason looks around at the others.

"You're supposed to guess who, actually," Lysander says, his arms are wrapped around Zoe and his chin is resting on her shoulder. He's a little jealous, Lorcan realizes with a start, because _he wants that_. He really does, but they should probably figure out where they stand apart from more than friends because he knows there will be no holding back for Molly and Quentin if he pulls Grace into his lap and holds her the way Lysander is holding Zoe.

"Errr…" Jason looks at his lava lamp. "Noah?"

"Not me," Noah holds up his hands.

"We should give him three guesses," Eva declares from behind Lorcan and he can see Lysander nod in agreement.

"Yes," his brother says. "So that's two more guesses for you, Jason."

Jason looks around, "Oliver?"

"Nope," Oliver leans against Caitlin with a grin. "Though, I applaud the person who got you that. It's awesome."

"One more," Eva laughs and Jason rolls his eyes.

"I know. Believe it or not, but I can count to three," he says a little absently and Lorcan watches him as his eyes rove over the assembled group, before finally settling on Louisa. "Lou," he says, sounding much more certain this time and she smiles.

"Jason," she replies evenly. "Do you like it?"

"What does it do exactly?"

"It's a lamp. Only it's much more awesome than your wizarding oil lamps, but also kind of softer, the light, I mean. It's the best kind of light for late at night." They look at each other and Lorcan can practically see some kind of understanding pass between them and when Jason turns back to his present something in the way he regards it has changed. He doesn't say anything and Louisa leans back in her armchair, still smiling. She doesn't look like she's about to say anything else either, even though numerous pairs of eyes flicker from her to Jason and back again.

Carla breaks the silence. "So who's next?"

"We should find out," Grace says. She steps away from Carla and walks across the circle.

"Hold still, Lorc," Eva says quietly and then she's balancing something on his head. He resists the urge to turn his head and look at his sister by keeping his attention on Grace, which really is not hard at all, especially when she smiles at him and reaches out to take what's balanced on his head. It's the hat, he realizes when it's in her hands.

"Thank you," she says and then she lingers in front of him for a moment too long. Two. Three.

Eva knees Lorcan in the back just hard enough to make them break eye-contact and he glares at her for a second, before he realizes that he had been about to reach out to her and pull her to him and that's one thing that a) he isn't sure she wants him to do with so many people around and b) wouldn't help them with not being questioned.

Now that the spell has been broken, Grace stands and carries the hat over to Jason. Lorcan gets a glimpse of Molly and Quentin watching him speculatively and it bothers him, but he pushes that aside and turns to see Jason draw a name from the hat.

"Meredith."

Jason's voice rings out through the room and Lorcan hadn't even realized how quiet it is. Thankfully, Molly at least is suitably distracted by the prospect of Meredith receiving her Secret Santa gift, so it's only Quentin who continues to look at him searchingly. 'A week,' he mouths at his friend and even though his eyebrows draw together, Quentin turns to Meredith to see her unwrap a charm bracelet very carefully. Lorcan silently thanks his lucky stars that both of them are so enraptured by Meredith when it comes down to it. It's rather amusing, but then he shouldn't be making fun of them. He knows for a fact that he is equally enraptured with someone else. And as if she can hear his thoughts she turns slightly and smiles at him once again.

"Carla?" Meredith asks, but Carla just shakes her head. "Caitlin then," Meredith sounds quite sure of her answer and indeed Caitlin laughs from her spot in Oliver's lap.

"Yes."

"Thank you," Meredith smiles and accepts the hat that Jason passes to her. She draws a slip of parchment and unfolds it ceremoniously. "Eva."

"Oohhh," Eva claps her hands excitedly and earns smiles and laughter all around. Lorcan can't help thinking that it was probably the goal. Grace is grinning as she rummages through the box once again. When she has found Eva's present, she brings it over. Lorcan tilts his head back to look up at them and sees Eva pull Grace down beside her. There isn't really enough space on the couch for another person, so Grace ends up half on the armrest and half in Eva's lap while Eva tears the wrapping paper without a second thought. He should be watching his sister, Lorcan tells himself, but there's something about the disapproving way Grace purses her lips as Eva shreds the wrapping paper that he just can't escape. For a moment he wonders if he will ever not stare at all the little things she does. Then, he wonders if he wants that. As she picks up the discarded shreds of wrapping paper, he thinks that if he gets a choice in this then the answer is no, he never wants to get used to all the little things she does.

Eva holds up a pair of shoes that the attached sign proclaims _Anti-sprain high heels_ , and then looks at each and every one of the others in turn before she says very clearly, "Molly."

"How?" Molly demands. "I thought I wasn't giving myself away!"

Eva laughs. "You were _too_ impassive," she says. Molly grumbles quietly, but Meredith laughs and levitates the hat over to Eva, who draws the next name with very little theatrics. "Zoe," she smiles softly and accepts the shredded wrapping paper from Grace with an amused look as Grace gets up to find Zoe's present in the box.

Zoe accepts the present with a quiet "thank you" and Grace leans against the side of the armchair pulling faces at Lysander, who pulls some equally horrible faces back. Zoe unwraps the present carefully.

It's a curious gift, just a vial filled with a shimmering liquid and a small off-white card. A hush falls over the room as everyone watches Zoe. She studies the vial intensely for a little while. Then, she picks up the card and reads it. When she is done, she returns her attention to the vial and looks at it silently for a few more moments, before she uncorks it and downs the contents in one go. Her face goes slack for what probably feels like much more time than it actually is, but still all of them get kind of restless. Grace fiddles with the edge of her sleeve. Eva shifts slightly behind Lorcan. Colin is tapping his fingers lightly. Archie chews on his lip. Lysander takes Zoe's hand. Carla's fingers are digging into Louisa's arm, but she doesn't seem to notice. Then, before he can catalogue the rest of the reactions, Zoe gasps quietly and he turns back to her. She emerges from wherever she was with a brilliant smile on her face and shining eyes.

She turns to Lysander. "Thank you," she says sincerely.

"I… uh…" Lysander looks around and meets Lorcan's eyes for just a moment. He looks confused and a little bit helpless. "I… I didn't get you that."

There is a collective intake of breath and Zoe's face falls. "You didn't?" she asks softly. Lysander shakes his head.

Silence reigns as Zoe slowly regains her composure. She looks at the others. "Right… two more guesses, yes?" Her smile is shaky beyond belief as she studies their faces and her eyes are still shining, but probably for entirely different reasons. They linger on Archie. She opens her mouth. And then her eyes move suddenly. "Jason?"

Grace makes a strangled little noise and Lorcan hears Eva's hair swish through the air as both of them turn to her in unison. Grace is wide-eyed and pale and staring at Zoe. Her lips are pressed into a thin line. Zoe's eyes flicker to Grace for a second, but then she sets her jaw and when Jason shakes his head no, Zoe's next guess is instant. "Matt?"

"No," Grace's cousin says quietly. And then Eva is practically shoving the hat at Zoe, so that she will draw the next name. It's Carla. Grace rushes forward to find the present, but Lorcan can tell her hands are shaking. She knows more about this than the rest of them, it's the only explanation that makes sense to him. Grace lifts Carla's present out of the box, it's the largest yet, and hurries over to Carla. Grace hands the gift to her, before leaning against the couch beside Archie. She doesn't even glance over as Carla begins to unwrap her present, because she is entirely focused on Archie. And Lorcan can see why. The Ravenclaw has paled considerably and one of his hands is clutching the armrest. The other has found its way to Grace's sweater (Lorcan's sweater) and he's gripping a fistful of it so tightly that his knuckles turn white.

"Who got me a freakin' chameleon?!"


	48. Saturday, December 31st 2022- Lorcan II

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its related works.**

 **Author's Note:** Two things.

One: I have the January chapters written, but I've been having a hard time writing the first February chapter (I've been working on that for several months now), so there might be a longer break between chapters at some point.

Two: This chapter is a direct continuation of the one before, so just as a reminder, I'll give you the last few lines :)

 _Grace lifts Carla's present out of the box, it's the largest yet, and hurries over to Carla. Grace hands the gift to her, before leaning against the couch beside Archie. She doesn't even glance over as Carla begins to unwrap her present, because she is entirely focused on Archie. And Lorcan can see why. The Ravenclaw has paled considerably and one of his hands is clutching the armrest. The other has found its way to Grace's sweater (Lorcan's sweater) and he's gripping a fistful of it so tightly that his knuckles turn white._

 _"Who got me a freakin' chameleon?!"_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Seven**

 **Saturday, December 31st 2022**

 **Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England**

Carla's absolutely incredulous comment earns a round of laughter that is louder than it would normally be, because it breaks the almost unbearable tension. Archie weathers it like it's a storm, while Grace next to him manages a tired, helpless smile and Zoe across the circle from Carla wears a grin that is quite obviously faked. Lorcan turns his attention back to Grace and finds her looking at him. Carla's guesses fade into the background as he tries to calm the panic rising in her eyes silently. 'Breathe,' he mouths and she nods jerkily. He watches her do what he told her, their eyes still locked tight and sees her relax slowly. Even so, when Carla lifts a necklace out of the terrarium and laughingly thanks Matt while Louisa sits the fake chameleon on Noah's head, Archie doesn't quite seem ready to let go of Grace's sweater.

It is once again Meredith who levitates the hat across the room and Carla receives it with a smile. "Oliver," she reads out and for a moment, Lorcan wants to get up and get the present himself, but then Grace touches Archie's shoulder lightly and he releases the sweater from his grip. Her steps are measured as she makes it to the box and finds Oliver's present. He unwraps it with his arms still around Caitlin, who is in his lap, and Matt reaches out and pulls Grace to him by the hand. Lorcan can't hear what he says, but she smiles at her cousin in reply and he seems reassured at least as he turns back to his best friend to see Oliver's present. It's a poster.

"A weird sisters poster," Oliver's voice is awed. "An autographed weird sisters poster." He rolls it up very carefully and then taps Rosa's leg with the roll. "Did you owl your aunt or did you actually buy that?"

She laughs. "This one isn't even on sale yet, Olli."

He grins at her. "Thanks." She just smiles and Meredith levitates the hat over to Oliver. "Are you impatient, Miss Longbottom?"

"There will be a whole lot of people here at seven," she points out, "some of them might actually be early and I don't know if you've been keeping track, but we're not even half way through these presents."

Oliver nods in acknowledgement of her point and draws a slip of parchment. "Matty, it's you," he grins at his best friend and Grace leaves her cousin's side only to return shortly after with his present.

Matt, like Eva, pays the wrapping paper little mind and soon enough he's sitting in his chair with a brand new broomstick care set. "Thanks," he grins and looks around. "So, who am I thanking?"

"Three guesses," Lysander reminds him and Lorcan can't hide his amused smile, because he knows who this one is from. He was there when Lysander freaked out the day before yesterday, because he had forgotten about Secret Santa.

"Lorcan?"

He lifts his head surprised and looks at Matt. "Me?" Then he shakes his head. "Nope, sorry."

Matt moves on then, "Noah?" He gets another headshake in reply and his final guess ("Meredith") also replies with a negative. "Right then… thank you Secret Santa, whoever you are." Matt laughs lightly and holds out his hand for the hat, which Oliver passes to him. He makes a big show of drawing a name and drops the parchment back in without unfolding it twice, before Grace gives him a look and he unfolds the third one without any theatrics whatsoever. "Lorcan," he says again.

Lorcan wonders if he's imagining it, but to him it feels like it takes Grace less time to find his present than it took her to find the others. She smiles brightly when she holds it out to him and if their fingers touch when he takes the present that's no one's business but theirs. And if he doesn't start unwrapping his present until she is sitting beside him, her legs stretched out in front of her, Eva's hand lightly touching her shoulder and leaning against him ever so slightly, then that is purely by coincidence.

He goes about unwrapping the present very carefully and tries not to tear the wrapping paper, so it takes him longer than most of the others, but he likes to think it's worth it when he is finally done and there is a brand new copy of the Never Ending Story in his lap. He opens it, to get a glimpse of the brightly colored lettering inside before he tries to figure out who his present is from, even though he has a pretty good idea already. When he finds a picture of the Eiffel tower between the cover and the first page, he considers his hunch all but confirmed. He takes out the picture and closes the book again. He's sure he must be smiling just as brilliantly as Zoe was earlier, but he's also sure he doesn't care what conclusions Molly and Quentin draw from that while he turns over the picture. There are a few lines of text on the back. Lines that he knows very well. In a handwriting that is just as familiar to him, even though he can see that she tried very hard not to make it obvious it is hers.

 _If I told you how I feel_

 _If I told you what I hold inside_

 _If I told you only half_

 _Of the feelings that I tried to hide_

 _If I told you you're my friend_

 _If I told you that it won't suffice_

 _If I told you all I ever needed_

 _If I told you it was you_

He turns to her then. She's biting her lip nervously, but when he smiles, she smiles back and it's the hardest thing he has ever done to stop himself from kissing her. He manages, though, because he promised himself he wouldn't kiss her again without her permission and he won't. No matter how much he wants to.

"Thank you," his voice is incredibly soft and the words are meant for her ears only. She ducks her head a little and her cheeks turn faintly pink.

"Of course," she lifts her head just enough to look at him and the moment their eyes meet, Lorcan is caught in her gaze once again. He's faintly aware that they're probably on the receiving end of a dozen or so curious looks, but he can't bring himself to care. Then someone, probably Eva, drops the hat into his lap and the spell is broken once again. He shakes his head slightly and turns. There's a little disappointed sigh next to him, but when he dares glance her way, Grace is smiling and motioning to the hat, so Lorcan reaches for one of the slips of parchment.

"Noah," he reads. Next to him Grace gets up and goes to find Noah's present and he watches her go a bit regretfully. When she hands Noah his present, Lorcan puts the hat aside and focuses on the picture of the Eiffel tower instead. Judging by the perspective it's one of the pictures they took during their rooftop picnic. He lets himself reminisce about that night with a soft smile on his face and doesn't really pay attention as Noah unwraps his present. He faintly registers that he fails to guess who it's from and that Louisa is next, his mind more in nest of blankets in summerly nighttime Paris than sitting on the floor in frigid Wiltshire. His thoughts stray and he lets them. To green forests and messy kitchens. To September afternoons by the lake and almost kisses on the astronomy tower. To a couch and dancing by the lake. To parties. To an actual kiss. To silence and to a song. He turns over the picture and smiles. If I told you indeed.

A round of laughter jolts him back to reality. Archie is staring at an alarm clock that is loudly and annoyingly declaring that he has to get up with an absolutely horrified look on his face and when Lorcan looks around there are decidedly more people that have gifts in their laps. Just how long did he space out for?

Archie stuffs the alarm back into the box, but that doesn't really muffle it as he looks around. "Colin," he declares after studying all of them intensely for a few moments.

"What? Why?" Colin is barely holding himself upright.

"You have your wand out. You set it off," Archie says accusingly and Colin can only nod as he continues to laugh helplessly. Archie places his hands over his heart. "I am wounded," he declares dramatically, before turning to Molly. "The hat," he commands, but he can't quite hide his grin.

She passes it to him, with Jason as their intermediary and for a moment Lorcan fears that the names will actually fall out, because Jason is laughing almost as hard as Colin, but then Archie grabs the hat and draws a name with a flourish. He unfolds it and clears his throat, but the way he looks at Grace just before he reads out makes Lorcan think that it's not for dramatic effect. Something about Archie's grin is different. He's not sure how, but it's different. "Lysander."

Grace takes the time to pick up the hat and offer Archie a reassuring smile before she goes to find Lysander's present. Then, she carries both hat and present to the armchair Lysander and Zoe still share.

Lysander pulls a face at her in lieu of a thank you and Grace laughs as he tears into his present not quite as viciously as Eva, but a good deal less careful than Lorcan himself. When his present lies before him in its shiny, silver, blocky glory, Lysander just stares. "What is this?" he holds it up.

"It's called a Gameboy," Colin says. "Seriously, purebloods," he mutters to no one in particular.

"A Gameboy," Lysander repeats. "And what does it do?"

"Depends on the game," Colin grins lightly. Then, with a glance at the clock, he adds, "Just guess, I'll explain it to you later. Or… someone else will."

"Right, umm…" Lysander looks around. "I'd say Colin, but you got Archie that… thing, soooo… Noah?"

"Nope," Noah laughs. "Why does everyone think I got their gifts?"

"Not everyone," Eva points out.

"No, but like… five or six people now," Noah grins at her, before turning to Lysander. "Sorry, go on ahead."

"Q?"

"Not me either," Quentin laughs.

"Right…" Lysander chews on his lip thoughtfully. "Carla?" he sounds quite unsure, but she laughs and nods.

"Yes."

"Thanks. I think?" he's looking at his present uncertainly.

"You'll like it," Carla promises and then she mimes drawing a name out of the hat to him.

Lysander laughs and puts the Gameboy aside to do just that. He unfolds the slip of parchment, but doesn't read out the name. Instead, he hands the hat back to Grace and looks at her expectantly. "What?" she asks, looking between him and the hat confusedly.

"It's your turn, Gracie," he laughs. "Go on ahead, find your own present."

"Oh," her eyes widen slightly and she smiles as she returns to the box in the center of the circle. Lorcan feels his heartbeat speed up just a little as she takes out her present and very carefully opens it. When she is done, she lifts up the copper box to face level and looks at the engravings on the side silently, her expression reverent. He can't actually see the carvings from where he sits, but he knows what they show. Engraved on five sides of the box are scenes from her favorite fairytale, The Fountain of Fair Fortune. She runs her fingers over the top where the fountain itself is depicted, before she slowly opens the lid. As the song begins to play, a soft smile appears on her face and she turns her head to look at him. He meets her eyes and returns her smile, but neither of them speaks until the song ends.

"Thank you," she says quietly and there's something in her eyes then that he can't quite place.

"You like it?" he asks, even if he is pretty certain of the answer from the look on her face.

"I love it," she replies.

This time, they manage to break eye-contact without Eva's help and Grace turns to the hat. Lorcan watches her, partially to avoid Quentin's eyes, but mostly because he just can't help himself. Grace unfolds a slip of parchment. "Caitlin."

She picks up two presents from the box and gets up to hand one to Caitlin, while keeping the other one in her hands. Caitlin laughs lightly. "Go, give it to him. I won't insist on drawing a name out of a hat when we all know he's the only one left." Grace nods at that and walks across the circle to hand the last gift to Quentin.

Caitlin and Quentin unwrap their gifts at the same time and Lorcan finds it hard to decide whom to watch. He settles for Quentin, because he is closer to him and he doesn't have to crane his neck uncomfortably to see him. Quentin's present turns out to be a book and he squints at the cover for a few moments before touching it lightly. "Oh, that's neat," he says quietly.

"What is it?" Meredith asks.

"It's written in Ancient Runic, but when you let your fingers hover over the page it translates itself."

Meredith's reply is lost in Caitlin's excited squeal and Lorcan turns to see her holding up a dress, while Oliver picks up the card that lies next to them. "Mood-specific color-changing dress," he reads out. "Does that mean I'll be able to tell you're angry because the dress turns red?"

Caitlin laughs and hits his arm lightly. "Shut up! This is awesome!" She looks around. "I have no idea, who got me that though." She looks around the circle once and still appears at a loss. "Noah. Was it you this time?"

He laughs. "It was actually."

"Really? Thank you!" she smiles widely and Lorcan turns his attention back to Quentin who is studying them intently.

"That leaves me with five possible choices, doesn't it? That's pretty good odds, actually." He looks first at Archie, then at Zoe and Lysander, before moving on to Eva. "So Eva…"

But Lorcan's sister shakes her head. "Wasn't me. I don't do book presents."

Quentin laughs. "Right, then… Oliver?"

"Yup," Lorcan turns to see Oliver grin. "Even though I don't understand a word of that without hover translations." He earns a round of laughter with that comment.

When they've calmed down, Meredith turns to the clock. "We did it," she grins. "6:40 pm."

"If anyone wants to freshen up, now's the time," Eva laughs.

Zoe practically flees the room and the other three Ravenclaw girls look at each other silently for a few moments. Grace is resolutely shaking her head, Louisa and Carla turn to each other and for a moment Lorcan thinks they'll play rock paper scissors, but then Louisa gets up and follows Zoe out just as Lysander does the same. Carla jumps up and attaches herself to Lysander's side chattering away about something. Lorcan watches Grace watch them until they are out of sight, then she turns to him with a small apologetic smile before going to join Archie. Archie, who looks better than earlier, but still leans against Grace when she stands next to him. Archie, who nods numbly as Grace whispers something to him. Archie, who meets his eyes across the room and mouths an apology. Lorcan raises an eyebrow at him, but before their strange, silent, cross-room conversation can continue, Lorcan's view of Archie is obscured by Quentin.

"Screw the week, mate," Quentin says. "I have questions."

"Can we… not do this here?" he asks as Eva gets up and deserts him, Rosa in tow.

"We'll be in the floo room," his sister says to no one in particular.

"Lorc… no one's paying attention to us anyways," Quentin says. "So spill."

"Spill what?" Lorcan looks at him a bit apprehensively.

"I know that song," Quentin crosses his arms. "What is going on between the two of you?"

"We're… we're still figuring that out," he says slowly and Quentin studies him closely.

"But you have talked about it, right?"

"Yes, we've… I mean, kind of?" Lorcan leans his head back and closes his eyes. "We started to, but she had a fever, so I got kind of worried…"

"Well you should talk some more," Quentin says, "Because I'm definitely not the only one that noticed something going on."

"Yes," Lorcan opens one eye to look at him, "Now go see Meredith, Q. Have you asked her out yet?" Quentin blushes bright red and Lorcan grins slightly. "You should, just saying."

"Yeah well… New Year's Resolutions and stuff, right?"

Lorcan can't help but laugh at that. "I think we could both use those." He gets up and grabs his present before walking over to Grace. She smiles when he approaches, Archie on the other hand looks absolutely exhausted. "Are your things in Evie's room?" he asks her and she nods. "I'm just going to put this in my room, do you want me to take your present along?"

"Yes, please," she smiles. "I'll take the others to the ballroom for the party."

"Thank you," he smiles and kisses her forehead. Then, he picks up her present from where it sits by the now empty box and leaves the room.

Before the door closes behind him, he hears Grace's voice, "Alright, everyone. We're heading to the actual party now."


	49. Saturday, December 31st 2022- Lorcan III

**Disclaimer: I am not JKR and I will never be. Anything you recognize from Harry Potter or its related works is not mine.**

 **Author's Note:** I have no excuse. I'm sorry. I just forgot, plain and simple. Please read the Author's Note at the **end of the chapter** and enjoy. I hope you like it.

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Eight**

 **Saturday, December 31** **st** **2022**

 **Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England**

He doesn't see all that much of her the rest of the evening, because Grace is as much host as guest at this party and she's constantly trying to make sure everyone is alright and they're not running out of food and drinks and generally bustling about. Occasionally, she lets herself be convinced to take a seat behind the grand piano on the lowest gallery and play. Lorcan always stops to watch her when that happens, because Grace, when she coaxes a melody out of the huge instrument both intensely focused and lost in the music at the same time, is a sight to behold. Then again, that might just be him. One time Eva catches him staring and when he tells her of his thoughts she quite gleefully informs him that he is biased.

The hands of the clock draw ever closer to midnight, at which point he and Eva will be buried underneath a mountain of party guests all trying to congratulate them at once. Lorcan is still not sure if he likes that even if this is the fourth time they have their birthday party on this day. He knows Eva likes it though and Lysander finds it amusing, so he doesn't complain. He is so lost in his thoughts that he doesn't notice he is being approached until someone taps him on the shoulder. Lorcan turns around. He couldn't have stopped the smile if he wanted to.

"Do you have a moment?" Grace asks as she returns his smile.

"For you? Always." Her smile widens a little and he thinks that even the cheesiest lines are worth it if they make her smile like that as he lets her pull him up the stairs from the middle gallery to the balcony and from there out of the ballroom. "Where are we going, Gracie?"

"Up," she grins at him and pulls him to the stairs leading to the second floor and then once they are there to a set of stairs that bypass the third floor and go straight to the attic. He raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn't comment until they actually reach the attic.

"So… what's the plan?"

The light in the attic is dim, but there is just enough of it for him to be able to see her clearly. So when she turns to him and smiles widely and it takes his breath away just a little. "You're good at warming charms, right?"

"Yes… why?" he looks at her curiously.

"Because I didn't bring a coat," Grace says as she pushes open the window. She grabs a little bag from beside the window and climbs outside. He simply stares at the open window until she pokes her head back in. "You coming?" she holds out her hand.

He laughs and steps forward. Her hand is warm in his and he marvels at how well their hands fit together even as he climbs out the window, which would probably be easier without holding someone's hand, but he can't bring himself to care. The roof is covered in snow and it's only when he looks around that he realizes they're on the roof above the family wing. "Why this side?" he asks.

"Because there will be lots of people on the other side of the roof at some point. You know, to watch the fireworks," she smiles. "There aren't any doors that lead out here." She nudges the window until it at least appears to be closed and smiles at him. "But I am going to need a warming charm."

Lorcan draws his wand and casts warming charms on both of them while she puts the bag on the ground and spins in a circle, laughing. She's even more beautiful than she normally is, twirling around on a snow-covered roof wearing his sweater and as she spins out of the attics's shadow and into the moonlight, the realization hits him. And it should scare him, oh how it should scare him. But it doesn't. Not when she holds out her hands and beckons him closer. "Dance with me, Lorcan," she whispers when he is standing in front of her, her breath clouding what little space there is between them and he just smiles and nods.

"Kunstlerleben?" he asks, and she laughs delightedly as he waves his wand.

"Kunstlerleben," she agrees. And then he pulls her close and leads her in a waltz across the rooftop. The snow glints in the moonlight and the view of the surrounding lands is stunning, but Lorcan can't tear his eyes away from Grace long enough to admire either of those things. He wonders for a moment when she started looking at him like that and how he could have possibly missed it, but then decides it doesn't matter. What matters is the two of them right here and right now. She smiles at him and he kisses her forehead lightly.

They dance until the music fades and continue to sway slightly even when it is completely silent. There's something magical about this, he thinks, as she leans against him and rests her head above his heart. Because the real magic isn't spells and enchantments. It isn't music or food either. It's this. He tightens his arms around her and time seems to stand still.

When a clock strikes midnight somewhere and a faint roar of indistinguishable words rises from the general direction of the ballroom, Grace pulls away slightly and looks at him. "Happy Birthday Lorcan," she says softly.

"Happy New Year, Gracie," he replies with a smile and she laughs lightly.

Her laugh fades into a brilliant smile and for a moment they stand on the rooftop in silence once again. Then, she raises herself onto her tiptoes and kisses him softly. It's just a faint brush of her lips against his, but it's more than enough for his mind to go entirely blank. "Happy New Year," she whispers. Her breath ghosts over his lips and he smiles and leans in just slightly. He doesn't kiss her, not quite, but she closes the distance. This kiss lasts longer, it's still tender, still sweet, still a little shy, but there's a kind of certainty in it that wasn't there before.

When they break apart both of them are smiling widely and Lorcan lifts his hand to brush a strand of hair out of her face. "Gracie?"

"Yeah?" she looks up at him.

"Will you go out with me?" He tells himself that he has no reason to be nervous, but he can't stop himself from biting his lip.

Grace smiles and uses her thumb to gently tug his lip out from between his teeth. "I'd love to."

"Great." Lorcan thinks that if it could his smile would grow until it is wrapped around his head. "In that case I'll come up with something."

She laughs and shakes her head at him. "I…" she starts to say. "I brought something. Hang on." She extracts herself from his embrace and reluctantly he lets her. She heads for the window they climbed out of and picks up the small bag she was carrying earlier, before she returns to his side.

"What's that?" he stands behind her and wraps his arms around her waist.

"How about you have a look?" she leans against him.

"How about you do and I'll keep holding you?" She laughs, but takes a small box out of the bag and opens it.

"One chocolate cupcake with raspberry filling and raspberry chocolate buttercream," she says softly, holding it up.

Lorcan just stares silently for a little while. "You're amazing," he says finally. And then he tightens his grip on her waist and spins them around in a circle until he's dizzy. She's laughing in his arms and it feels so good to hold her close and know he's allowed.

"You," she gasps between bouts of laughter. "You ruined the cupcake."

"Oh," he looks at it. She's right. It did look a whole lot better before he started spinning them around. "Sorry?"

"I have 17 more, don't worry. This one was the prettiest though…" She studies the cupcake in a slightly regretful way and then puts it back in the box and closes the lid. "You're probably being missed," she adds softly. "There must be a whole lot of people downstairs who want to wish you a Happy Birthday." She takes a step forward.

"Who cares about them?" Lorcan grabs her hand and pulls her back to him. His other hand cups her cheek and he leans in for a kiss. He hears the box drop to the floor and for a moment he thinks that the cupcake is really ruined now, but then he's kissing her or she's kissing him and all other thoughts go out the window.

* * *

 **IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
**

I know I said this story would be longer and I've mentioned the January chapters, but February is still giving me trouble and since it's been that way for at least four months now, maybe even longer, I somehow doubt it's about to stop. If it does, I will continue to write this story. This is not the ending I intended originally, but then the story changed while I was writing it and progressed quite differently in places.

For now, though, this story will end here, because I like to think this is a good ending point. I will mark it as **complete**. If I ever bring it to the intended ending, I will post the new chapters, but only if it is entirely finished.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed or favorited, it meant the world to me.

All my love,

Liz


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